Reaching for the Brass Ring
by Mandy1229
Summary: End of S2; Dick deals with Cass's death by trashing his room, learning several truths in the process. Learning to deal with all that has happened had Dick telling with what and who he really wants in his life. Mac finally confronts her parents with the secrets and Veronica and Logan do their usual song and dance. Rated T for language.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I am a fan fic writer for another show. Was watching Veronica Mars one day, recently. I watched the first season when it originally aired but when we moved; we lost the show. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed it and decided to watch it on Net Flix. Recently looking at fan fic, I found myself liking some of the Dick stories. Decided to write one while on vacation this weekend. If enough people like it, I will continue. Please let me know either way.

_ Chapter One_

_When Only the Truth Will Set You Free_

Entering the large ornate mansion the tall blond man stumbled down the hallway and up the stairs heading towards his bedroom. Stopping in the hallway, outside of the room he had avoided for the last several days he found it hard to even open the damn door. Now after having buried his brother and sat through a meeting with lawyers and accountants and damn cops, he just wanted to be left alone to wallow.

Kicking open the door he had closed the morning after his brother had high-dived off the roof of the Neptune Grand, he fell onto the neatly made bed, laid there staring up at the ceiling, desperately looking for answers to questions he knew would better be left unanswered.

~!~

There was a growing darkness in the sky when he finally stood and went to relieve his bladder. Standing in the bathroom, taking a piss, he felt older than his eighteen years, there was nothing left, he had no one left in this house he had grown up in. This house that had become his prison.

Washing his hands, then looking in the mirror, he wanted to destroy the image he saw, wanted to make it all go away, the pain the disappointment and mainly the feelings of being alone in room full of people.

Returning to** _his_** room, the blond sank back down on the bed, laid back down and tried to get his mind to shut down, bitterly acknowledging that most people thought his mind was an empty vessel.

~!~

It was dawn when he heard the sound of footsteps, then his mother and stepfather's voices as they made disparaging comments about his on the run father and his last wife. As he heard what they were saying, he felt anger and yet hope until he heard the urbane voice of his stepfather talking about options of what to do with him.

Standing, walking towards the hallway, he saw his mother coming up the stairs and couldn't resist sneering when he saw her shock at where he had been.

"What?"

"Richard, that tone isn't appropriate." she sharply snapped as she took in the wrinkled white dress shirt and the t-shirt with the nasty message that was still visible under it. "Why are you in _that_ room?"

"Why is it your business?" he snarled at the woman who gave birth to him then abandoned them almost four years later to marry her new man. Then looking at her husband he said "Oh, and unlike what you believe, I am not a damn drunk. I drink, I won't deny it but I am not being shipped off to rehab."

Then looking at his mother, he said "Nor am I going to be a burden."

When she swallowed her shock at his repeating what she had just said about him, he spoke an icy cold feeling growing in his heart. "Don't worry _**Mom**, _I am not going to move in with you and step-daddy. I never ever once thought it was an option, so leave, go back to your plush life, to your new perfect family. I am eighteen and with the money from my trust, I don't need you."

"Richard..."

"Stop, my name is Dick." he snapped. "Its over, I am done with it. Dad and you, why the hell you ever married, I don't know. You clearly hate him, he... hates you. I remember when we were kids, Cassidy and I, we never had a normal family, we never fucking had a chance. All the money in the world, but none of the comforts of a family."

"Don't swear at your mother." snapped the stepfather. Dick looked at the two people standing there, acting like he was an inconvenience, acting like what Cassidy had done was not their fault in any way. Just like his father had done, just like he wished he could believe about himself.

Looking at his stepfather, then at his mother then back at the man who clearly despised him, Dick was determined to run them out of the house. **_His house!_**

"So, _Edgar_, according to my real dad, Betina was a cold fish who was locked at the knees once they had Cassidy and I. Does she ever get down on those knees, lube your knob, 'cause according to what I heard my dad say, not in this lifetime. Does she let you play hide the submarine? Let you get your freak on?"

"You are the spawn of the devil." Betina said her face flushed puce, as she reached for her husband's hand, grateful that no one in her current social circle knew about** _them_.** "We are leaving."

"Good, you didn't want Cassidy or me in your new perfect life, so stay the hell out of mine." he snapped as he followed them down the stairs still making comments meant to drive them away once and for all.

Slamming the door after they left with a shout of good riddance, Dick walked to the wet bar, grabbed the bottle of Glenfiddach scotch and drank straight from it, draining it as the alcohol burnt his throat. Tossing the now empty bottle, he heard his cell phone ringing.

Pulling it out as he heard Logan's ring tone, he hit ignore. "Sorry buddy, not this time, you have much bigger issues to deal with."

With that, he reached for the next open bottle and removing the cap, began to drink the liquor inside. Realizing it was the bourbon, he grimaced and just kept drinking, trying to ignore the pain, the guilt and the shame.

The pain at the loss of his baby brother, the guilt at knowing what his brother had done, the shame of knowing what he had driven his brother to become.

A victim to a sick child molester. A victim who was terrified that someone would learn the truth, a victim who had become as bad of a monster as Woody himself.

A rapist of an innocent young woman they had all known for years. Dick still felt sick at his part in what had happened to Ronnie. For the drugs, for sending his brother into that room. He could still hear the words of what had happened, how he had never believed his brother would EVER take advantage of an unconscious woman.

A person who would plant bombs and kill innocents to protect his secrets, a person who had sat there at funeral services and pretended to be upset.

A person who had then cowardly committed suicide to escape facing up to what he had done. Who had left those behind to deal with the mess he had created.

Families who had lost loved ones...

Dick took another bottle as he finished the bourbon, needing the numbness as he looked back at the last two weeks. This time he grimaced as he realized it was gin. He didn't really like the taste but right now, all he wanted was to gain a state of forgetfulness as he thought about the meetings he had had to sit in on.

The attorneys were offering the victims restitution from Cassidy's trust fund and most had agreed to take it. That had been their idea, Betina had been furious at the idea until she realized if they didn't make the offers there would be public trials and that she wanted to avoid at all costs. After all, her social standing mattered more than the truth.

Then there was his classmates, none of them had shown up at the small services, not even _her_... no, he wouldn't go there, he couldn't. Not yet, he wasn't drunk enough. Logan had been the only one there, the only person who had stood beside him in his hour of fuckin' need.

With that, Dick reached for the next bottle, grateful to see it was one of the many bottles of vodka. Standing wanting to stop his mind from going where it was, Dick stumbled back up the stairs and entered his dead brother's bedroom.

Sitting down on the bed, picking up the pillow he had been using earlier, Dick tossed it across the room, then the other one, then reached for the clock on the bedside table and threw it at the wall. The long black cord following like an attached snake.

Then the lamp, and with a sweep of his arm cleared the books still sitting on its top. Reaching down, he opened the drawer and threw the stupid shit he found in there, pens, highlighters, a deck of cards, batteries, a box of fucking candy.

Reaching down, he lifted the heavy wood chest and threw it. When it didn't smash, he reached for one of the fucking academic trophies from Be-Cassidy's chest of dressers. Using it to try and break the wood apart, he instead broke the damn fucking trophy.

Angry at failing in his plans for mayhem, Dick lifted the chest and threw it again and again until it finally gave way, breaking into large chucks of ruined wood. Feeling satisfaction, he went to the other side of the bed, reached down, cleared the clutter from the matching small chest, he lifted it and threw it, this time damaging the wall but not the damn chest.

Throwing it again, and again and yet again, he was almost crying when it didn't break. Furious, Dick in a alcohol fueled rage stormed down to the garage and went to find a sledge hammer, determined to destroy that room a piece at a time.

Grabbing the wood handled tool, he went back up the stairs, lifted the hammer, hearing it hit the ceiling leaving a huge dent before he slammed it down, shattering the wood.

Stepping back, admiring his handiwork, Dick saw that there was a small square wooden box and angry at it surviving his attempts at destruction, he lifted it, planning on throwing it across the room. Instead, realizing that it had a lock on it, Dick swore, determined to know what his brother had inside.

Dick brought the hammer down and using the square top, smashed it into oblivion. Finding the books, he sneered as he lifted them, planning on tearing them apart, instead he froze as his eyes focused on the fact that it was Cassidy's handwriting.

_"... I laughed when I realized that Dick had no idea I knew. It was fucking hilarious watching his eyes following her, he had no idea anyone knew his secrets. And it was perfect, I finally found a way to punish him. To take what he secretly yearned for, the one thing he could never have. I watched his eyes, watched them following us, I knew it was killing him and it was so worth it, worth every single minute of my time. _

Seeing the writing, the words came into focus Dick felt his heart begin to race as he sank down on the bed, the books he now realized were his brother's journals held tightly in his hands.

Quickly looking through them, he started with the first one which looked like it had begun freshman year. At the end of the first book, Dick was stunned at the level of anger and how with each entry it grew deeper and more dark.

The second book began with what had happened at Shelly's party, with his brother's rape of Veronica. Dick unable to read any further leaned over and puked up all that was in his gut. Standing on shaky legs, he stumbled down the hallway, back down the stairs and landed on the sofa in the game room, the sofa he had spent so much time with his brother on.

Knowing he needed more to drink, he heard his phone ringing and realizing it was on the wet bar, he went to find it. Looking at the time, realizing that it was two AM, Dick hit ignore, knowing that Logan would understand that right now, he couldn't face anyone, hoping he would at least...

Grabbing more to drink, he was about head back to the game room, when he realized he didn't want to be bothered with ignoring more calls from his old pal. Turning the phone off, he staggered back to the game room carrying all the bottles he could handle and threw himself down, reaching for throw blanket crap that Kendall had cluttered up the house with.

The next book was on top, reading, Dick felt sick as he realized what his brother had done, what he had thought about everything. What he had done to create the Phoenix Land Trust.

As he drank, Dick sank deeper and deeper into depression and anger as he began to realize how twisted his brother was. And that he was the reason at least one of his victims was suffering.

Coming to the end, reading of his plans for the night he died, Dick lost it again, reaching for the nearby bowl on the table, he dumped the glittery balls and lost what was left in his stomach.

Dry heaving after a while, Dick wiped his mouth on his sleeve and sank back, tears now flowing as he got how sick his little brother was...

Lifting the bottle, wanting numbness, he drained the vodka, reached for the nearest still full bottle and didn't even allow himself to acknowledge what it was. When it was empty he stumbled to his feet, grabbed a new bottle and stumbled up the stairs to his room.

Landing on his knees in front of his game console of the cluttered room full of every single teenage boy's dream, yanked it out without a care for the wires and reached behind it, hitting the secret panel and removing the purple plastic Little Pony lunch box inside.

Draining the last remaining bottle, Dick's hands were trembling, not from liquor but from what it contained. Popping the white clasp, Dick removed the trinkets inside.

As he touched each one, memories hit him, things he had sworn to forget mere months before. After getting to the bottom of the small container, Dick put his hands back further into the entertainment center and pulled out the envelopes of cards left unsent and now yellowing with age.

Lifting each one, recalling its purchase, the notes written inside and how instead of sending them he had hidden them to keep from being laughed at. When he came to the smaller white ones, the ones where the cheap glue had come undone, Dick pulled them out, read the block handwriting he had been so proud of at the age of six, then seven, then eight.

Dick was so intent on facing his nightmare he never realized that his hands were shaking, or that his breathing was slowing down. He was only dealing with his pain, his fear at what he had wrought. He never noticed as he fell forward, hitting his head on the edge of the game system, slowing losing consciousness.

~!~

Logan let himself into Dick's house, looked around the first floor and other than seeing the empty bottles on the coffee table in the game room, there was no evidence of his friend. Picking up the cell phone that was turned off from the now empty Wet Bar, Logan was beginning to fear what he would find.

Walking up the stairs, he stopped stunned at the evidence of destruction of Beaver's room. Standing there, knowing he was about to have to have a talk with Dick, he almost left, knowing that this was going to be impossible task.

Entering Dick's room, seeing the bed was still made, Logan almost left when he saw that the game system had been yanked from the wall. Moving forward, he saw Dick asleep and was about to lean down to wake him up when he realized that he wasn't snoring.

"Oh shit." he said as he knelt down and reached to take Dick's pulse. Seeing the blood flowing from a cut on his head, Logan pulled out his cell phone and quickly called 911.

"Hold on, buddy. Just hold on, Dick." he said as he kept trying to check over his pal even as he turned him onto his side in case he threw up again. Seeing the debris and the seriously strange and girly little girl lunch box, he moved it out of the way and under the bed when he heard the medics in the hallway. "Up here."

When the two men rushed in, he moved back and filled them in on what he had found.

Watching as they hooked up an IV and began to check Dick's vitals, all Logan could do was hope and pray he didn't lose another friend this year.

"Sir, do you know how much he had to drink?" asked the second medic as he wrote down everything his partner was telling him.

"Not sure, I saw two bottles in the next bedroom, one here and several downstairs." Logan answered, his eyes wide as he saw them loading Dick onto a gurney. His mind was on the destruction down the hall and he was certain that whatever had happened had started with Dick in Cassidy's bedroom.

"Do you know what he was drinking?" asked the medic working on Dick. Logan saw him frowning and putting an oxygen mask on his friend.

"A shit load of stuff, it looks like he cleared the entire wet bar and its nearly always full. Usually they keep scotch, bourbon, whiskey, gin, and vodka, no tequila though." he said as he followed the medics as they wheeled Dick out to their emergency vehicle.

"Can I ride with him?" he asked and was told yes. Hurrying into the back, he was listening as the medic spoke to someone through a mic and then did stuff that Logan had no idea why. Dick was stuck with a needle again and had another IV hooked up and had had changed something hooked up to the breathing mask on him.

"Do you know how to contact his parents." The medic asked after a call to the ER. Logan was astounded, clearly this was the last person in the state of California who didn't know who the Casablancas family was.

"No, his mom left town this morning."

Logan had watched as the former Mrs Casablancas had left the Neptune Grand this morning with her new husband. The woman had been running at the mouth to her husband about her worthless son and it was quite clear that she wouldn't lift a finger to help Dick.

"He is eighteen and she isn't exactly June Cleaver." More like Medusa thought Logan, his mind on the day that Dick had made that comparison. It had been right after she had released the purse strings on their trust funds in order to keep them out of her life.

"Do you know if your friend has a POA?" asked the man even as they were pulling into the hospital. When the ambulance began to back up to the emergency bay, Logan was beginning to freak out at the idea of there being no one to help his friend.

"Not sure, Dick isn't the most responsible party. I don't think he would think he would need one." he said awkwardly after thinking about it. "I uh, grabbed his cell phone. Let me call his attorney."

Making the call, knowing it was more than likely a waste of time, Logan took a deep breath then gave him the news about Dick and what was going on.

"I am sorry, Mr Echolls, but I can't give you that information. You need to have the hospital call me. I can tell them who his POA is." The full partner at the law firm was a bit shocked, Dick had set up his POA only the week before, naming the one person on earth he said that he felt would not take him for everything he had.

"I was just wanting to know if he had one." Logan said. Giving the news to the medic, he spoke to whoever was at the other end of his walkie talkie thing and soon passed on the news along with the phone number for the firm.

Inside, Logan followed as far as he could then heard his name being called. Looking up at the nurse, he took the clip board and said "I gave this information to the medic."

"We need you to fill in as much of the other data as you know, its for your friends sake." she said kindly. Seeing how frantic Logan looked, the woman was reminded of her own younger brother and said gently. "Your friend is going to be fine, honestly. Right now, if you don't want your friend to end up in rehab or in lock down wing as a possible suicide, help him by filling all of this out."

Nodding, getting control of his fear, Logan heard his phone beeping and began to cuss. He had set an alarm to remind himself that he was meeting Ronnie at her place this morning.

Taking the clipboard with him, he went outside and made the call.

"Well Echolls, I come back all the way from New York, bring you a gift and where are you? Not here." said the happy teasing voice. "Even Backup was more excited to see me than you are."

"Ronnie, its Dick. He is in the hospital." was all he could bear to choke out. "Its bad."

"I will be right there." said the blond pixie. Hanging up, frustrated to realize that her new car was at the office, she looked at her dad who had just entered.

"Uh oh, why does my baby girl look so upset?" asked Keith as he entered the apartment. "I thought that nere do well was coming to get you this morning."

"Dick Casablancas is in the hospital." she said at the same time as Keith's cell phone began to ring.

"Mars." he said with a slight chuckle as he watched his daughter pretend to pout at his answering the phone call. That chuckle went away as he asked "Would you please repeat that?"

When he had heard what the man said, Keith replied. "I am on my way."

Slowly closing the phone, he looked at his daughter then said "Veronica, do you know why Richard Casablancas would have me listed as his Power of Attorney?"

Shocked, Veronica looked at her dad and said "What?"

"That was Neptune General, they have received paperwork from Windmark, Carson and Thorpe, stating that one Richard Casablancas has me listed as his Power of Attorney."

Blinking, Veronica said "I have no idea."

With that, they quickly left for the hospital, none having any idea what the hell was going on let alone why Dick would list the father of one of his brother's victims as his Power of Attorney.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2 Hidden Love

A/N: I realized I posted the first copy of Chapter One, there were changed made that you might want to go back and read. Thank you to the three people who reviewed the story, I enjoyed reading your comments. This is the last chapter with Dick unconscious but you get the set up for the rest of the story. Also warning to those who read my stories, I like very long chapters, this one is over 8500 hundred words. Oh and that little box at the bottom to leave me message, I love it when I get them, so please don't hesitate and I also don't object to character criticism if a character is OCC, let me know.

**Chapter Two**

**The Feelings that go Deepest are those that are the hardest to express – Unknown**

While Veronica rushed to greet and console Logan in the waiting room, a confounded Keith was meeting with the hospital administrator four floors up in the suite of offices reserved for the staff that dealt with the ultra rich. "I am just as confused as you are. I barely know this young man."

"All I know is that a letter was faxed to us from the law firm that Mr Casablancas uses stating that you were to have Mr. Casablancas' POA and that they were sending a letter over to you by courier." the uptight man behind the desk said.

Shaking his head as he read the offered fax, Keith could do nothing more than agree to sign the paperwork. "Thank you. We were able to administer immediate life saving care, and thanks to your signature we can begin to bring him out of his unconscious state but it looks like we might at some point need to consider admitting this young man to a treatment center. Right now he is being transferred to the fifth floor medical wing."

"I want to speak to my daughter and a few of his friends, find out what they know about this." Keith said as he walked out and took the elevator up a floor to where a somber Logan was holding tightly onto his teenage daughter. "Guys, we have to speak for a few minutes."

Logan and Veronica followed the former sheriff into a small private room and were told what the fax said. "Logan, this just said K Mars, then lists my address and phone number, could you please tell me what is going on?"

Logan sank down into the chair behind him then looked up at Veronica's dad. "I really don't know. I am as shocked as you are. When I called Dick's lawyer, I totally expected to be told he didn't have a Power of Attorney prepared. Dick isn't the most organized person on the planet."

"Where are Dick's parents?" he asked the young man trying to understand why he was given this much power of someone he barely knew.

"His father is on the run like you know, but I doubt that Dick would want him here. He uh, he didn't want his parents here for the funeral either. His mom showed up and it was ugly. She took charge, tried to ban me from attending, banned just about everyone else. Though I doubt Dick even knew that." Logan's eyes were on Veronica, worried about how she would feel to know he had attempted to attend her rapist's funeral.

"And of course even after banning you, she more than likely didn't bother trying to support Dick other than visiting with the attorney, did she?" Veronica asked in disgust. While there was no way she would have gone if she had been here, she did understand that Logan and Dick had been friends for years and that the blond more than likely had had no one else he could rely on.

"Honey?" Keith could tell that his daughter knew the dynamics better than he did. "What is going on here folks?

"Dick's parents are a mess dad, I mean seriously messed up." she said with a sigh. "His dad keeps marrying women younger and younger, my guess the next one will be even younger than Dick and his mom the only time I met her. She makes Celeste Kane seem warm and fuzzy."

"Still, why me?" he asked as he sat down watching the two young people. "I don't think I have spent much time talking to Richard, except when I was sheriff and having to arrest him for driving incidents, public intoxication and fights."

With a sigh, Logan looked at Veronica's dad and then said "Maybe it is because you are the most normal of any of our parents. I am sure that his attorney wouldn't let him name me or one of our friends, his own parents wouldn't bother coming unless they were making a show of things for the press. It is one of Dick's more sensible choices."

Keith looked at them and said "I signed the paperwork for the surgery, but the doctor seems to think that Dick was trying to commit suicide by drinking all of this alcohol."

"Numbing the pain." said Logan, his mind on his recent past. Looking at Veronica's dad, knowing what he was about to admit would more than likely get him banned from being around his daughter for a while, he told the truth, knowing that he had to help Dick.

"I should know, Dick and I have spent the last three years doing so. It helped me deal with Aaron and while Dick Sr isn't abusive physically like Aaron, he was a shitty dad and used to always be telling Dick not to do this, not to do that, that he had to grow up and become a man."

"That doesn't sound too off from what most parents do, Logan." said Keith gently then he saw what was being hidden in Logan's eyes and said "Except there is more you aren't telling me, isn't there? You're talking emotional and mental abuse."

"Do you know why Dick Sr treated his younger son so badly?" Logan asked. "Because Cassidy defied him and showed he had brains. Dick isn't as stupid as he acts sometimes, he learned young that no one can be as smart or as athletic as his dad. Even the oversexed idiot bit, yeah, he is a teenage boy, but in truth its just how he tries to gain his father's approval. He learned when he was about twelve that his father would tune him out if he wasn't a carbon copy of Big Dick. Mean, nasty and opinionated."

~!~

Mac just wanted to escape the well meaning relatives, if one more person tried to comfort her or tell her that she did nothing wrong, she was going to stand in the middle of the Mackenzie family reunion and scream that she wasn't their dear sweet Cindy, that in fact she was only the child swapped out and that her parents had taken her home by mistake.

Backing away from yet another great aunt who felt the need to tell her that it was a shame that her only boyfriend had been a creep but that the solution was to get back on the bike and ride again. Mac staggered to the small tent and reached in to grab her lap top. Muttering at her brother Ryan she was going to find wi-fi, no matter what it took, she quickly shlepped off towards the state park headquarters.

Sitting under a huge red wood tree, she smirked when she realized she could hack in and steal wi-fi from the California State Parks department. "Ah, civilization."

Typing in her email address, checking the very thing that had driven her to join her parents on this family vacation from hell, Mac quickly deleted messages from anyone other than those she knew personally from Neptune High. Veronica's had been photos of post cards from various art museums across New York City with the promise of talking when they met. Then one had included a note stating that she was collecting the cards for Mac.

Seeing one from Wallace that said Open me now, she quickly double clicked and had a laugh when she saw the picture he had posted of himself and his brother in Chicago holding signs saying SOS to Bond and Q. Reading his message, grateful for the jokes, the daily commentary on their trip and even a mention of Veronica, Mac had to run her fingers across the smiley face he had sent her.

Hitting reply, Mac answered his missive then went to tip toe through the online tabloids, the very things that had driven their family out of town a month early for their family vacation.

The headlines it seemed had moved on from the salacious details of how Cassidy Casablancas had been the victim of Woody Goodman the owner of a major league baseball team and the former coach of his childhood baseball team. How he had killed innocent people to protect his secret, how he had attacked one of his female classmate.

Every single detail, every single piece of family dirt was being dragged up about all involved oddly enough except what had happened when she was a baby. Mac had long loved Anderson Cooper and Nancy Grace, right up into it was her life being talked about, gossiped about.

The worst had been the offer from Star Magazine. A million dollars to tell her side of the story; it seems the whole world was curious about the classmate who had driven Cassidy over the edge, at least in part due to that bitch Madison Sinclair. She could still see the article in which the blond had claimed that Cassidy was a victim of herself and Veronica. That had been one of the early items but as the truth had come out, Madison who that horrible night had been ALL over the news, had seen the tide turn and she had quickly been called a liar.

Seeing the blurb about the settlements, Mac looked at the accompanying pictures and found herself feeling sick, not only for herself but for Veronica. There were class photos of the two of them on either side of a picture of Dick, Logan, Duncan and Cassidy. She'd had to laugh because the one part of Madison's story that had stuck was that the articles still listed her not as Cassidy's girlfriend, but as Dick's.

When she saw the highlighted side bar listing the other tragic events from their little town, she wanted to scream as they also dragged up Felix Coombs murder and Logan's trial, Duncan's being on the run, and Lily Kane's murder at the hands of actor Aaron Echolls. That Dick Casablancas had been a land speculator whose business interest had blown up in his face. That his young wife, Kendall, was now missing and thought fled to Mexico.

Snapping her lid down, Mac stood, wanting to forget, wanting to do nothing more than wallow in being in fricken nature. Walking back to her family, she quickly went to get her swim suit and left for the small beach. Once there, after swimming for a good while, she sat on the rocky beach and contemplated how she was going to survive until she could leave for college in the fall.

Veronica sat with Logan, her head resting on his shoulder as they watched Dick sleeping. The blond's skin was sallow, not its usually bronze color and his hair looked lank as the machines released a steady beep that let them know he was getting better. "Logan?"

"Hon." Lifting his head, Logan looked at the beautiful pixie resting in his arms. "Sugarplum?"

With a laugh that didn't quite sound real, she asked "Why did he do it? Was he really drinking away the pain or did he...?"

"I don't know." Logan admitted painfully. "There were so many bottles laying around when I got there that weren't there the day before. I am sure that bitch of a mother of his caused some of his pain, but still, even for Dick, this is more than he ever drinks."

"I know." Veronica looked down at the generic hospital tile trying to wrap her mind around all that had gone down, even almost three weeks later then at Logan. She could still see the look on Dick's face when he saw his brother, when he heard what he had done.

No one would be normal after something like that, but Dick had been a total revelation as he had stood there, watching them take his brother's body away and after how callously Lamb had filled him in on everything. The blond had looked at Veronica then at Mac with such pain in his eyes, even now Veronica could feel it herself. "Its why I am worried."

Pressing a light kiss to her lips, Logan said softly "When I lost my mom, when the truth about my dad, at the worst part of it, I had you to pull me back. Dick doesn't listen to me when he gets like this. Think back to the very worst you have ever seen Dick and I guarantee it was after a visit or a canceled visit from his mom or a fight with his dad."

Entering the room, Keith wordlessly handed over to Logan the handwritten note from Dick. The courier had just arrived and after reading it, Keith felt for the young man.

Reading it out loud, Logan found that the words reminded him so much of the man in the bed, he couldn't help looking at him. "Dude, my lawyer said I have to have someone responsible in case I end up all permanently asleep or something. He said to pick an adult over thirty and uh, someone who I thought would not like rip me off or something. You were the only person who came to mind. Sheriff Mars, sorry dude to lay this all on you but you were the only name I could come up with. Just uh, make sure that they don't keep the Dickster like a vegetable okay? Have Veronica pull the plug, don't let Logan do it, okay? He would feel all icky and stuff and get all emo on me where as Ronnie would do it in a heartbeat then taser my ass for upsetting Logan that way."

Veronica couldn't help it, she laughed because there was no doubt that Dick wrote that letter. No one else could be so irrelevant about such a serious subject and yet so heartbreaking.

Logan couldn't help joining her because while it would surprise most, but Dick had the utmost respect for Veronica, maybe fear of her was a better description.

"I have to admit, when I first read it, that was my response as well." said Keith looking at the boy in the bed."Logan, the doctor said he will be fine, that he will wake up soon. They are concerned because there is already slight damage done to his liver. Dick is going to have to be sat down and have a real long conversation about stopping drinking. If he doesn't, he is going to start having major health problems."

Nodding that he understood, Logan said "With his father on the run, and now, I hate to say it but I doubt his mother will return, I am all he has, sir. I can tell him not to do it, but he will blow it off."

"Would it help if I talked to him?" Keith asked.

Looking up, Logan said "In truth, not really. I don't think Dick will listen to anyone. And now with what is going on with Cassidy, I don't think he will care."

"Okay. Veronica I have a meeting with the Town council, Lamb is out as Sheriff. This latest mess combined with the last few years, has proven that he isn't capable of doing the job."

"So they want you back as Sheriff?" she asked.

"That can want it all they want, I am not accepting the job on a permanent basis." Keith stated. "Logan, the authorities are going to want to speak to Dick. They are concerned about his living conditions."

"Why would it matter. I mean, I am younger than he is, I live by myself plus he is over eighteen." Logan pointed out.

"Dad, I will explain." said Veronica then watching him go, looked at Logan and laid out the fears regarding Dick. "Dad when he was Sheriff had to do several of these interviews and inspections. Mainly just make sure that it is clean, that it is organized and that no vice is laying around. So in other words, hide his porn crap."

Logan looked at Veronica then said "Uh, babe, unlike what you would believe, Dickie uh, doesn't really look at that shit. Maybe if he did, he wouldn't be such a horndog."

Seeing her surprise, he chuckled then pressing a kiss to her lips asked. "I uh, should go take care of that now, before your dad decides to step in."

"Want company?" she asked she asked as she reached to hold his hand. Veronica knew it was going to be hard for Logan not to feel guilty at not doing more for Dick.

"I always want you with me." he said then with intense and exploratory look he said "I have to go to the house, though, Ronnie. Cassidy's house.

"Its fine." she said after a moment. Thinking on it, Veronica said "While I might not like Dick, he has been there for you. I know you are going to want to be there for him. And right now, that means dealing with this. So where you go, I go."

"Aw how sweet, young love." snarled the sarcastic blond in the doorway holding a bouquet of flowers. "Or should I say young gold digger now chasing after her latest vulnerable rich man."

"What do you want, Madison." asked Logan. "We both know that Dick doesn't want you here, I don't want you here. Veronica doesn't want you here. What is it going to take for you to get the message?"

"Dick needs me." she said as she flounced into the room and sat down the flowers on the table with a disgusted moue. Looking at her ex, she reminded herself why she was there and sucked it up before going over to check on Dick. "Oh, my poor sweet, Dickie."

"Madison; he can't hear you, you are wasting your breath." Logan stated. Watching as she pretended to fuss over Dick, Logan couldn't help warning her. "Madison, get out."

When she ignored Logan, he went to the doorway and was grateful to see Keith Mars down the hallway clearly speaking to that attorney friend of his. Calling out to the man, he was relieved when the former sheriff walked back their way.

"What is he doing here?" she asked the disgust clear in her voice when she saw the short paunchy father of her pathetic classmate.

"Mr. Mars, a few days ago, Dick kicked Madison out of his house, we came home and she was naked in his bed. Dick called to try and get a restraining order keeping her away but Lamb refused to take the paperwork. Is it possible for you to get her banned from this room." Logan asked in a cold tone.

"Yes, it is possible. Ms Sinclair, I would like you to leave this room." he said looking at the blond who had been all over the news blaming his daughter and poor Cindy Mackenzie for what Cassidy had done. "And if you refuse to do so, I will have you banned from this room and the entire hospital as long as Mr. Casablancas is a patient."

"You can't do that, we are getting married." she said hotly as she moved over next to Dick and with a smug grin said "I am his fiancee, I am here to take care of his needs. All of his needs."

"More like all his money." muttered Logan before watching as Keith Mars gently reached for Madison's arm and escorted the shocked blond out of the room.

"Now, that is a surprise, Ms Sinclair. I spoke to your parents yesterday, they didn't mention a thing about you getting married. They did come to me in my capacity as a private investigator to find just what you have been up to this past year, something about credit card theftand money disappearing from their bank account unauthorized. Now I never got a chance to speak to you about it, so why don't we speak about that now."

Madison freed her arm, looked at Keith Mars and wanted to tell him to mind his own business, but she could see that he knew what she had been up to and didn't want to go to jail. Looking one more time at Dickie who she had thought she could get to do what she wanted, after all she had always done so before, then decided to wait without a fuss elsewhere, not wanting to draw attention to herself. But in the end, she would get what she wanted from Dick, she always did.

When she had left, Logan saw that Veronica was looking at her father rather oddly and asked what was going on.

"Dad, since when do you reveal so much information about a client?"

"Oh, I didn't. I haven't spoken to the Sinclairs in almost a year, and that was a social occasion." he said with a wink then looking at Dick then at Logan said "There were rumors about that young woman then and now, well if they are true, she might think that marrying Mr Casablancas or tricking him into marriage would solve a lot of her problems."

"We need to keep her out of his room." Logan said. "Actually we should keep the whole lot of them out. Luke, Casey, most of the girls, right now, I think if one of them were to say the wrong thing, Dick just might lose it."

"So we want to keep 09ers out of Dick's room, right?" asked Veronica with a smirk. "I know just the person for the job. Dad, what about your new assistant?"

"New assistant?" Asked Logan.

"Since my daughter refuses to leave things alone, I have decided to arrange for some security,besides Backup." Keith said with a smirk well aware that his daughter hadn't had a chance to tell Logan who he had hired. "Honey, do you want to tell Logan all about your own personal security guard."

"More like my pit bull." she said folding her arms and glaring at her dad.

"Wait, I thought Backup was the pit bull." said Logan with a chuckle at the look of annoyance on Veronica's face.

"I hired Eli Navarro." said Keith expecting Logan to be furious instead he heard the younger man chuckling out loud. Seeing Veronica's exasperation when Logan said that he thought that was a great idea, he couldn't resist. "I couldn't just leave him hanging for Lamb's stupidity."

Looking between Veronica and her dad, Logan got that he was missing something.

"Turns out, Lamb in his determination to finally win out over my dad, had planted evidence against Weevil. Its why he arrested him during graduation." she said. "We were in New York when Saks called to tell dad the news. However, in order for him to be let go, he had to have a steady job and a place to live. His grandmother of course took him in again but no place wanted to give him a chance to work there, since he couldn't work for his uncle at the garage anymore."

"And since I got a hefty little bonus for hauling in Woody, I hired Eli to do the jobs, I don't want my daughter to be doing." Keith said with a smug grin.

Veronica had no objections to the young man working for him, but had objected when she heard that the young man and himself had mentioned one of his responsibilities was to protect my daughter.

When Weevil arrived at the hospital, he quickly sought out his boss, his ears ringing from the lecture he had gotten from his grandmother about dressing appropriately for his new job. When he had protested and told her that Sheriff, er Mr Mars had told him to dress like he normally would, she had sniffed at the idea of his wearing jeans and a t-shirt to work.

"What's up, Veronica?" he asked when he saw the blond pixie. "Let me guess, you found a treasure map and we have to go dig up half of Neptune to find your pirate bounty? Or you already managed to find a new mystery, in the what, less than twenty four hours you have been home."

"Hey, its more like not even six." she protested. "No, nothing like that. My dad didn't tell you? Its about Dick Casablancas, he's a patient here, and he wants to keep out the less than desirable elements of society, so you get to spend the day calling security to kick out any 09ners who show up."

Logan saw the smirk as he walked back down the hallway after handing Mr Mars the list of people who might be a problem for Dick and couldn't resist. "Uh, Ronnie you did tell your pit bull that I can still go in the room."

"Ah, the arrogance of Logan Echolls, sorry pretty boy but unless Mr Mars specifically tells me you can go in, like Ronnie said, all 09ners are banned." he said crossing his arms and standing in front of the surfer boys' room. "What happened, Casablancas forget that when surfing you are supposed to be on your feet, not your head?"

~!~

Keith wished he felt a sense of satisfaction about Don Lamb being fired but he couldn't help thinking that even if Lily Kane's death and murder investigation couldn't have been prevented, the subsequent mess might have been if Lamb hadn't been working for the police department.

Heading back to the apartment, he drove past the Nepture Grand and couldn't help thinking about the latest nightmare inducing case for his daughter. What Cassidy Casablancas had done was unthinkable to most people, but to that boy who was twisted first by his terrible family environment then having to hide the secret of what Woody had done to him, had turned that boy into a horrifying human being.

Yet, when he had heard the news, the excuses for the Casablancas kid, Keith had no sympathy, not after what he had done to Veronica. The victims were who he sympathized with and Keith was beginning to get that Richard and Betina Casablancas were a huge part of the problem.

Arriving at the apartment complex, he heard his name being called and saw Alicia waving at him. Waiting for her to catch up, they then walked into the apartment together.

"When did you get back?" he asked as he hugged the woman.

"Today, Wallace and Darryl are at the beach after finding excuses not to unpack just yet." she said with a soft laugh. "So... how are things?"

"Well my daughter is healing, I may never recover from the news. Oh, and I just had the pleasure of telling the county planner that no, I won't step in to fix the mess that was made by putting Don Lamb in as Sheriff, so all in all, not a bad day." he said with a wide grin then he said "There is one odd thing, though. Dick Casablancas collapsed at his house last night. Got a call from his attorney, turns out the kid listed me as his Power of Attorney."

"Why?" Alicia asked. That wasn't a name she knew very well through her son, except for him to mention he was a real pain the the ass and a surfer pal of Logan Echolls. Then she recalled he was the brother of the other boy.

"Here, read." With that Keith handed her the letter that the kid had written. "I spoke to his family attorney, Dick wrote that about a week ago. No, not because he was suicidal, but because he had gone to the attorney, worried about what would happen to his estate and him if he were to be incapacitated in some way."

"This boy?" she asked holding up the note that barely made any sense.

"Yes, and the even odder thing, the attorney's shock at the idea of Dick even knowing what the word incapacitated meant. Even the Echolls kid seemed surprised to know that the kid thought that far in advance."

"What are you going to do, Keith." she asked as she sat there taking in how relaxed and almost zenlike her on and off boyfriend looked.

"I spoke to his doctors, they said he will come out of this in a few days. I spoke to Veronica and Logan then did some checking around but I really want to speak to Richard and check out his living conditions before I make up my mind."

"Do you think he has a problem with drinking?" she asked.

"I am not sure, do I think he drinks yeah, that much I know, but whether or not he is an alcoholic, I don't know." he said then went on to explain. "Echolls said that the day we left he went to see Dick; that he was sober until his mother arrived. Echolls did say that its a coping mechanism for Dick though, so after doing some sleuthing I am going to decide. I might sit down and have a talk with the kid, but right now... I am still gathering intelligence."

Weevil saw the blond bitch coming his way and took pleasure in informing her that she was not getting into the hospital room. "Who do you think you are, do you know who I am?"

"Me?" Weevil asked pointing to himself. "Who do I think I am? Really, you really want to ask me that. Well I am Eli Javier Navarro, personal assistant to one Keith Mars, private detective. I am here working."

"As if." sneered Madison. "Now either you let me in that room or I report you to the hospital as a drug thief or worse."

"But I didn't answer your question yet." he said as politely as he could. "Now I believe the second part was do I know who you are? The answer to that is yes, I know who you are. You are Madison Sinclair, the blond whose parents decided that instead of attending UCLA this fall, well you will be working. At Sac N Pac, is it?"

Seeing her face slowly turning puce, he sneered "Oh, and you are the girl so stupid to be screwing Don Lamb at the wrong time."

When she stood there, her mouth open and closing like a gold fish eating food pellets, Eli hit the button he had been given and when security arrived, he said as hoity-toity as he could. "This is Ms Sinclair, she is to be kept from Mr Casablancas on the order of my boss. I do believe that Judge Wains signed a restraining order because there is a belief that she a danger to his health."

When Madison's excuses were ignored by the security guard, she sneered at Weevil and then flipped him off as she was pulled down the hallway to the elevator. "You are going to pay for this, do you hear me?"

"Uh Fred, maybe you should take her up to seven, she might need some time in the Psych ward." said Eli as he bowed to the uptight back stabbing bitch that was now screaming she was perfectly sane.

Logan helped Veronica get into his Xterra, admiring the legs showing through the flirty light blue sun dress. "Logan stop droolling over my legs." Veronica said as she laughed when he ran his hand up said legs. "Come here."

When he leaned in, she slowly deepened the welcome home kiss. His arms were pulling her out of the SUV so that he could hold her close when Mac's ring was heard.

"Bond."

"Oh thank god. I am so grateful to hear your voice. I swear, Veronica if you don't find a way for me to escape this family vacation, I am going to hack the CIA. The FBI, heck Walmart if it will get me away from my family. Please, save me."

"Q, what is going on, you sound... uh... well frantic."

"Mars, if you want me to help you with a single bit of electronic tomfoolery GET ME OUT OF HERE!" Hearing Mac tell someone that she would be right with them, Veronica was looking at Logan and trying not to laugh as they heard Mac muttering about cows.

"Tell me how to rescue you and I will be right there. Superhero costume in hand." she said when she heard Mac back on the line.

"I don't know, have your dad call my parents and tell them it is an emergency. Tell them my house burnt down. Hell burn my house down. I mean Logan did the community center right, have him burn my house down." she said when someone entering the cabin.

Turning to see her cousin offering her yet another damn burger Mac put her hands over the mouth piece of her phone and said "Mars, tell Logan if he doesn't rescue me, I will give all of his money to PETA and announce he is joining a monastery."

By that point, Logan wasn't sure whether or not to take her seriously but he wasn't going to take any chances. "How far away are you, Mac."

"A hours drive, we are up close to the mountains. Thank you, Logan, you are saving me from a fate no vegan should ever suffer."

"Well after this I definitely want my decoder ring and to be taught the secret hand shake. We have something to take care of but we will be on our way to get you and back to civilization by nightfall."

"Thank you, you have no idea." Mac said before hanging up the phone and slipping outside only to hear yet another person offer her a burger. "No thank you, Aunt Terry."

Finding her parents, she winced as she said it but soon had them convinced that Veronica needed her, that they were going to be propping each other up to get well. She even agreed to spend time with the woman from the Victims Help Hotline if they would let her go.

When her father said yes, Mac hugged her parents and promised they wouldn't regret it.

"Now are you sure your friend Veronica won't mind you staying with her until we return at the end of the month."

At the Casablancas residence, Logan asked Veronica to clear up the game room and handed her a duffel bag. "I will take care of the upstairs. "Anything you think we should remove, there is a maid who comes in this afternoon let her handle the bottles. Also, he destroyed his brother's room, I think I should leave that alone."

"Yeah, if it what lead to the incident, leave it." she said as she went to the game room and checked the cushions and under the furniture.

Surprisingly all she found were books. Lifting one, curious as to what Dick would be reading while drinking, Veronica saw that it was his brother's diaries.

Seeing the dates, she quickly tossed them in the duffel bag and was relatively surpised to find really nothing that had to be removed... except the blow up doll. After double checking the whole room and making sure that she had hit the entire list of hiding spots that Logan knew about, she decided to deal with the sex doll.

Going to the kitchen and finding a pair of latex gloves she

heard Logan returning from upstairs. "Logan, are you okay."

"Yeah, its just there is something we are going to have to talk about. I uh, I am not sure what it means or really what I just found and I might need to talk to Dick first, but we really might need to talk about it."

Then realizing who he was talking to, he saw her eyes narrowing and her head tilting and he just walked over and pressed a kiss on her lips. "Nothing sinister, Sugarpuss, but I think that Dick had a crush on someone very surprising."

"Please tell me it isn't you?" she said trying to lighten the atmosphere.

"She's a girl." he said then looking at her said "And to be honest, I would be less shocked if his secret crush was you. Now what is up with the gloves?"

"I found Dick's sex doll." she said with a disgusted expression on her face.

"You found Madison?" he asked with a smirk. "How did she get into the house, I will say this, that girl is determined."

"No, I am talking the kind that you blow up with hot air." she said shuddering even as she handed him the gloves. "Here, you deal with her."

"Wait!" he said his eyes dancing as he pulled her back into the game room. Looking at the doll, he tossed down the gloves and went to let the air out.

"If you touch that without wearing gloves, I swear we will not being intimate with each other until you have been checked out by a doctor and scrubbed raw with bleach, maybe industrial strength bleach." She ordered.

Laughing, Logan let the air out then with a smirk said "Dick bought that to fuck with his mother after she called him a degenerate the other day because she found him uh, never mind, but he was in the shower and she walked right in."

Getting EXACTLY what Dick had been doing, she said "Are you sure that thing is clean."

"Yeah, Dick is a dick but to resort to a doll, not in this lifetime." he said. "I know he has gone long periods without. Speaking of that, we should get out of here, because at some point, I would like to end the famine."

"Seriously, Logan. End the famine?" she asked as she looked at him. "How romantic."

"I can do romance, just wait, I will show you. I am the of romance, the prince of hotness; the royal sultan of swing." he said as he picked up the duffel from upstairs and placed Miss Betty under the same arm while his other hand reached for Veronica.

Once in the car, Veronica couldn't help thinking out loud. "I am so glad we are done. I know that is Dick's home, but I never want to visit here again. Thank you, Logan."

Seeing how he was looking quietly at her, she said "I needed to come here, needed to face this but in the end, it didn't bother me to be inside as long as I didn't think of Cassidy."

Two hours later after rescuing an eternally grateful Mac, they were on their way back to Neptune. The two girls talking about their plans and why Mac had been so desperate to escape.

"I fled Neptune to get away from it all but it was worse camping. I mean the entire family tiptoed around everything or were so solicitous I wanted to scream out the truth about my parentage."

Veronica's eyes went wide at that announcement while Logan frowned, he hadn't realized Mac was adopted though it explained a lot including why she didn't look a thing like her family.

"Anyhow, I am sorry to cut into your welcome back home romantic time." Mac was saying as she blushed. "Logan, thanks ago."

"No problem." he said then explained that they hadn't gotten to romantic time just yet. "Dick is in the hospital so we have been helping deal with his issues."

When Mac went silent, Veronica glared at Logan, surprised he would bring up Dick thereby bringing up memories of Cassidy.

After about twenty miles, Mac asked. "How is he doing? I wanted to attend the services, but I just... I just couldn't."

"He understands, Mac." Veronica was looking at Logan, getting that Dick and he had discussed Mac.

"Still, I mean, I just..." When she went silence again, Logan wasn't sure what to say but then she began to speak again. "Its hard to explain but to me, its like he was two separate people when it happened. Now its becoming clear that I really didn't know Beaver or Cassidy at all. Things we talked about, things he said to me, looking back there are things that don't add up."

"You didn't know." Veronica said fiercely when she saw Mac wipe away a tear. "He did this, don't you feel guilty."

Reaching up to grasp the hand reaching for hers, Mac said "I am getting there, its partly why I had to come home. I couldn't keep hiding. Not anymore. Though, Madison had better stay far, far away from me. If I see her, she is going to be wishing she hadn't spread all those lies."

"I do have to agree with that one, I was a bit surprised to hear you were dating Dick, there Mac. I mean, I would have thought my best male friend would have told me if he was dating a hottie like you." Logan said with just the right amount of irony.

"Hey, if I ever get amnesia and end up dating Dick, he would be so impossibly self satisfied that I would expect the whole world would know it." said Mac with her nose in the air, but she ended up ruining it by looking at Veronica and bursting out laughing.

"Ronnie, what is it? C'mon tell your daddy what has you so freaked?" asked Logan his mind still on what he had found in Dick's bedroom.

"Right now, I don't know what is freaking me out more, the idea of Mac and Dick or you calling yourself my daddy." she said her eyes wide in shock as she looked at Logan.

"Hey, I have one question." Logan said.

"What?" Veronica asked as she pretended to throw up.

"Whose your daddy?" he asked with a wiggle of his eye brows.

"Okay. NEVER! DO! THAT! AGAIN!" Veronica said as she heard echos of her dad asking her that all the time. "And I think that I need to go visit Ms James, after those comments."

Arriving at the Mars apartment, they greeted Wallace and his brother who had come to join the family for dinner.

"Hey lend a hand and grab Mac's bags from the back." Logan called out as they all walked up to her apartment. Inside, Wallace dumped what he had carried then went to rejoin everyone in the main part of the apartment.

Groaning when his mother said they were on their way home, he was protesting not getting any Veronica time only to be told that Keith and Logan were heading out and that Keith had work for Veronica and Mac to be doing.

"Okay, okay but tomorrow, Mars, you are mine." Wallace said and behind him, Logan was pantomiming something similar.

When all but the two girls had left the apartment, Mac was begging for a hot shower and a hair dryer to Veronica's amusement. An hour later the two girls had done the background checks her father had wanted and were on the floor in Veronica's room, looking through post cards and guidebook from the New York City trip.

Meanwhile Logan had listened to what her father had to say then said "Mr Mars, I think I might have found something tonight, I will explain when we get to the house."

Arriving at the Casablancas mansion, he quickly showed him the rooms. "The police had his room taped up for days. Yesterday was the first day that Dick could enter."

Taking in the destruction from the doorway, the detective said "This is actually healthy for him to be doing."

"In Dick's room, Logan packed up the clothes that Keith had suggested bringing to Dick at the hospital while Keith looked over what Logan had pointed out.

"I found them when I found Dick. I shoved them under the bed at the time." Logan said tense as he paced back and forth.

Keith didn't open the letters, just looked through those already opened then at the lunch box. Finding the ribbons in every single color hue of the rainbow, he looked up at the other boy and asked. "Do you have any idea who CM is?"

"No." Logan said. "I didn't move to Neptune until we were all 12, but the part that worries me is that they stopped for several years and just began again this year. And uh, I found this."

Handing over the box with the velvet bag inside, he saw Keith's shock at the expensive pendant and receipt inside. "Rather expensive gift for Dick to buy and not give to anyone."

"Logan, whoever this person is, this is who can get through to Dick. We have to find out who she is and why Dick never told you about her." Keith said.

Lifting the My Little Pony lunch box, he couldn't resist saying "Veronica had one of these, but hers was pink."

"I really doubt that Dick's parents bought it for him." Logan said with a smug grin. "What do you think?"

"I don't know, Logan, but I am getting a better picture of your friend. I made plans to speak to his mother, but Alicia showed me something in the paper during lunch. His mother put in a legal announcement stating she is no longer responsible in any way for one Richard Casablancas Jr."

"Not a surprise. Should we bring this stuff with us?" Logan asked.

Keith pulled out an evidence bag and gently placed everything inside. "I am going to put on gloves and go through it to see what I can find. Hopefully we can get some answers."

"What about Dick? I mean, he is going to wake up soon." Logan said. "Do I not tell him what I found?"

"Not right now, at least for a few days." Keith said as he turned off the lights as they left. Driving towards home, after making sure Logan went to the hotel, Keith saw the girls were still up.

Watching as they were curled up on the sofa, watching some show about witches and ate from the same ice cream tub, he said "I know that this is not a good subject right now. But I need some information about Dick Casablancas. From when he was young."

"We went to the same elementary school." Mac offered up. "I don't know where Cassidy went, but Dick went to the same school as me."

"I thought you went to that school for advanced K thru 5." Veronica said. "How would Dick have gone. I mean, I remember hearing that Caitlin's parents went ballistic when their son was rejected. I know that money doesn't matter and only brains do."

Mac looked at the two Mars, then said "Its weird but Dick did really good in school. When we went to Middle School is when his grades began to fall, and he started acting the idiot, but Ronnie, he is in our classes at school, remember?"

"I guess I thought his parents got him into those classes." she said surprised.

Shrugging, Mac said "I don't know about now, but Dick did pretty good in school even if he was strange."

"Strange how?" asked Keith.

"Well..." Thinking back on it, Mac culled her memories then said "He used to be the last person to leave class at the end of the day. He was also very secretive about his book bag. And you know how talkative he is now and how he is a bit of a jerk."

"Yes." Veronica answered.

"Back then, he was talkative but he was more..." Restless, Mac stood then moved to one of the dining room table chairs. "More circumspect, more polite, I guess. The only thing that isn't different is his dislike for me. He would get all upset when we would get paired for classwork."

Thanking Mac for the help, Keith went off to bed and the girls to Veronica's room. "You have been awfully quiet since telling my dad about Dick, are you okay?"

"I'm dealing." Mac said as she sank down on the sleeping blanket. "Its more, I was remembering school back there. Dick was so nice, so quiet, I mean he used to blush and stutter when we shared responsibility for Oscar. Sometimes its hard to believe he became the jerk he is now."

Veronica saw Mac was pensive as they got ready for bed, then once she had fallen asleep, Veronica called Logan.

"Hello sexy."

"Ah, my fan club is calling." Logan said then asked Veronica when they could spent time together the next day.

"I am not sure, as the President of the Logan Echolls Jackass fan club, I might be busy creating a new scrapbook of the newest and bestest memories of my crush." she said as she leaned back against her pillows.

"Other than when I am meeting your dad, I will be at the hospital, so why don't you stop up." he suggested as he got comfortable in bed. "Maybe we can find a broom closet or something."

Making plans, Veronica sat there listening to him breath. "Logan, why is my dad asking about Dick's school history?"

"Turns out we might have someone who can reach him. Your dad wants to give it a try. He is a pretty good guy, your dad. I mean, he could have said he wasn't going to get involved or just signed for the hospital to give Dick the drugs he needed, but he is really stepping up and taking care of things."

Hearing the slightly jealous tone, Veronica confessed. "I have always, always known that my dad wasn't perfect but he is a good dad."

"A good person." Logan said his mind on his own dad and he felt his heart twisting at the painful memories. "Night Ronnie, I love you."

"I love you too." she replied as she began to drift of to sleep, grateful for her dad.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3 Exposed!

A/N: Concern was expressed about Logan deserting Dick in his hour of need. Sorry about that, but I needed to create a plot point to introduce Weevil to the story and to set up his realizing that just because they are 'rich boys' doesn't mean that Logan and Dick's lives are any easier than his. Also setting up for Madison was needed.

Keith lay awake, his mind on what he had learned that day about Dick. From all of his usual sources then from former teachers and professionals, the detective had a good idea what the blond surfer dealt with in regards to his parents and every day life. While he hadn't been physically abused, there had been clear emotional neglect and mental abuse. Dick Sr should be very glad he was on the run, if he was in Neptune, Keith would gladly kick the man's rear.

He had suspected from Cassidy Casablancas' mess that things weren't right, but he had no idea how wrong they were. Sitting up, realizing he wasn't going to get any sleep, he called Eli and asked "How is it going?"

"Doesn't anybody in Neptune sleep?" asked the former gang member. "Echolls slipped in to visit with Casablancas an hour ago, that blond has been back twice. She's rather persistent for a chick that I know checked out on the kid constantly."

"Like I said, her parents told her that they would cut her off financially if she didn't get a part time job, I think that Ms Sinclair feels marrying Dick would qualify." Keith asked if Eli wanted to head home. "I think that with Logan there it would be safe to get some sleep."

"Yeah, will head home, but have to admit, am fun dealing with the nutjob." Eli said then looking in at Echolls saw that he was speaking to Casablancas who was still asleep.

"Okay, well I have located that bail jumper, up for your first chase tomorrow." Keith asked. "Stop by the office and pick up the file."

"Sure thing, Sher-er Mr. Mars." he said then went inside to speak to Echools. "I was told to head home if you are going to be sticking around."

"I am. Weevil, I heard that Madison tried again to get to Dick, thanks for keeping him safe." he said as he watched his sleeping friend.

"Its the job." the bald man said, then quickly left for the night.

Logan sat there, watching Dick sleep, his mind still reeling from the cards and letters he had found. He had doubled checked his yearbook just to be sure and there _was_ only one classmate with the initials CM. The one and only Cindy Mackenzie.

"You know, Veronica's dad is a detective, it won't take him long to figure it out." he was telling Dick. "I can't help wondering why you didn't tell anyone, I mean, no one would have ever suspected."

Then realizing that had probably been the point, Logan grimaced. Sitting back, getting comfortable, he couldn't resist telling the unconscious man in the bed all about their rescue of Mac today and her threats against Logan's bank account.

"The part that scares me, she probably could do exactly that man. What is it with us, why can't we chose the simple uncomplicated women, no, not us. You fall in love with the smartest girl in school and me, the scariest."

"Ronnie isn't scary, more like terrifying." said the man lying in the bed.

Logan jumped up, shocked to realize that Dick was awake. "When did you wake up."

"A few hours ago, I stayed silent because I had no idea what the fuck is going on dude. I mean, I have the hangover from hell, or whatever the fuck happened, I am in the hospital. I don't like hospitals, dude." Dick said glaring at the equipment hooked up to him. "Weevil was standing outside my door so I can't help thinking what did I do that has the bikers after me. I hear Madison shrieking and decided that it was much better to be asleep then dealing with her."

There was silence as Logan tried to find a way to bring up what had happened but before he could figure it out, Dick asked. "What happened. Did I get in a car accident or something?"

"Try or something. I found you passed out at the house in your bedroom. You were barely breathing." he said.

"I don't remember. Last thing I recall is my mother pissing me off and going to Beaver's room." he said. Something tells him he was angry with his brother, that something was also telling him that he had found something huge out.

"You trashed it man; with a sledge hammer." Logan said. "Dick, we have to talk about something. You were out of it, they had to contact someone to save your life."

"Oh shit, damn, is V pissed?" Dick asked as he tried to sit up.

"Only that she won't get to pull the plug." Logan said and saw the way Dick rolled his eyes. "Just kidding, but why her dad?"

Shrugging, Dick said. "He was the only person I could think of as a responsible adult. V's dad is honest, dude. I mean look how he didn't let them force him out over Lilly."

"He fixed things and is now dealing with the hospital. They want to put you in rehab, Dick. Mr Mars refused, said that you weren't a drunk."

There was silence again, which was very unusual around Dick and Logan knew that something was going on. "Veronica's back."

Then looking at the bag he had brought with him, Logan added "Mac is staying with her until the end of the month."

He heard the telltale sound of the machine measuring Dick's heartbeat speed up then suddenly go back to normal. "Yeah, I called Veronica and left a message asking them to meet me here today."

The machine sped up and this time didn't go back down as quickly. "Man, you shouldn't have done that dude. She doesn't want to see me, I am the reason Beaver lost it."

"No, that was Woody, Dick." Logan said. "You aren't responsible for this, man. You did tease your brother, but I don't get along with my sister. Yeah we were mean to Beaver, it wasn't only you, but that didn't mean that you are responsible for what he did."

"I am for what happened to Veronica. I put him in the room with her." he said softly.

"Yes, but did you expect him to do what he did." Logan said. He knew Dick and while he talked and acted like an idiot about girls, rape wasn't a game and that was all Dick liked to do was play games.

"Maybe not, but I put the idea in his head with my fucking joking around. I keep replaying that night in my mind. I was so angry with her, for hurting you, for hurting Duncan. I didn't mean for what happened to happen but I set in motion." Dick said clearly freaked out.

"Veronica and I talked about this, Dick. She said your an ass but not responsible for what he did. He made the choice man, not you."

Hearing Veronica's dad speaking to the doctor, Logan said "We still need to talk about Mac."

"Why?" asked Dick as he moved to his side trying to ignore Logan only for the alarms to go off. When medical personal entered the room, Dick snapped. "I'm fine, just get this crap off of me. I want to go home."

Nodding, the doctor went to unhook the monitors with the nurse while Logan stepped into the hallway with Mr. Mars. "Logan, how is he doing?"

Looking at the older man, Logan said "He is freaking out, and when I bring up Mac's name, he evades or like just now, he turned away."

"Do me a favor. Go home." Keith said with a smile. "While I am sure given,he could convince you to take him home, he can't me."

"Uh, Veronica and Mac are on their way." Logan said.

"I know, I dropped them off at the office to pick up her car." he said. "Just give me a few hours, I think that I can talk to Richard."

"Fine but I should tell you the only person who calls him Richard is his mother." cautioned Logan as he went to head out. Stopped, he looked at the other man who held out his hand for the bag.

"I might need that." he said taking the bag with the Valentines and other odds and ends.

"I need to tell Veronica about Mac." Logan said. "She knows he was crushing on someone and if I don't, she will go looking for answers."

"Fine. Just don't make Mac feel left out by trying for discretion. Wait until the two of you are alone." warned Keith then hearing the medical personnel leaving, he entered the room and looked at the young man laying on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. "14,548."

"Huh?" Dick asked looking at the man.

"14,548, its the number of dots on the tiles. I counted them when I was a patient here last year." he replied then sitting down in the chair that Logan had vacated, he said "I sent Logan on an errand but in truth, I wanted to talk to you."

"I'm not a drunk." he said before Keith could speak.

"No, you aren't but if you don't change your ways, you are going to end up a drunk." he replied. Seeing the young man shrug, Keith sat the bag with him on the tray and set it in front of Dick.

"What's that." Dick asked as he looked at the unfamiliar bag.

"Open it and find out." he said.

When Dick unzipped the bag, then dumped everything in it on his lap, Keith watched as he turned sallow then at him before trying to return everything to the bag.

"How often did you wish you were your brother when he was dating her?" Keith asked. When Dick didn't respond, Keith asked another question. "Okay, lets go back to the beginning. How long have you been in love with Cindy Mackenzie."

"I'm not." Dick snapped but Keith saw how carefully he was placing everything back in the bag.

"Okay, how about this one. How much do you hate your brother for falling for the same girl you were already in love with."

"He didn't really love her." Dick snarled then froze as his head sank back down onto the pillow. The words from the journals returned and began to fill his head with his brother's anger and his plans to destroy everyone around him.

"Dick? What is it?" Keith could see the blond's emotions on his face as he went from anger to pain to looking like the world had ended and finally there was a blankness on his face that clearly was the reason for the drinking.

"HE used her, because of me." was the answer. "I know I owe you an explanation dude, but can it wait. I just want to sleep."

"I will let it go for now, Dick." Keith said then added. "We need to talk about your living arrangements. When you were brought in, the hospital contacted your mother."

"She won't come, thanks for trying." he said sarcastically.

"I didn't expect her to." Keith said. "However, due to your age and that you were drinking to excess, they had to turn your name over to child services."

"I'm eighteen dude." he protested.

"Yes you are, but until you are twenty-one they are required to investigate. Since I am normally the one they come to, I went to your place with Logan. Its fine, Dick, but they are going to be sending someone in to check up on you on a regular basis. If they find you drunk just once, they are going to have a PINS petition put out on you."

"What's that?" he asked.

"Person in need of supervision. I have an idea how to avoid that but I want to talk to both Logan and you together. For now, I want you to stay here, let them treat you for the alcohol poisoning. When they let you go tomorrow, the three of us will meet."

Getting a nod of agreement from Dick, Keith stood and was almost to the door when he added "I had Eli on the door yesterday but today he is on assignment, are you going to be okay with Madison Sinclair because she won't give up."

His lips twisting, Dick said "Her 'rents told her they would pay tuition and her insurance but that she had to get a job."

"I have already spoken to the the Sinclairs, I am aware what is going on." said Keith.

"She mocks me to my face, then decides that the solution to her problems is to marry me. Funny huh?" asked Dick bitterly. "Want to hear something else funny?"

Keith leaned against the door watching as Dick mirthlessly laughed.

"I dated her because I was supposed to."

"Why were you supposed to date someone, Dick?" Keith asked as he began to think about the quartet involving Veronica, Logan and the Kane siblings.

"Cause her mom and my mom made us attend cotillions, we were partnered up in sixth grade." said Dick. "Its how it works, you know."

Keith couldn't help thinking of one of the Neptune secrets he knew then looking at the boy and how screwed up one mistake makes things. "I will be back this afternoon. Do you want me to ask Logan to bring you something other than hospital food."

"Yeah, thanks, Lo and Ronnie know what I like."

Veronica had been worried about Mac, when she woke up her friend was already awake, reading a book and clearly depressed. "Mac, are you sure you are okay with visiting Dick?"

Looking up from where she had been staring at her shoe strings, Mac said "Yes, I mean, its not his fault Cassidy was who he was."

Arriving at the hospital, they were crossing the parking lot when Veronica's phone rang. "Hello Logan."

"Change of plans, your dad kicked me out of Dick's room for a few hours. Want to get some breakfast at Java?" he asked.

"We are just outside, meet us at the hut." she said then looked at Mac who asked if she minded if she skipped the second breakfast.

"I am going to head to the beach." Pulling up to the Hut, Veronica watched as Mac smiled at Logan who had pulled in behind them then crossed quickly over to the beach, still carrying her messenger bag.

"Is everything okay with Mac?" he asked when they had kissed hello.

"She wanted to head to the beach while I ate my second breakfast." Veronica said as they entered the coffee shop.

At the beach, Mac felt guilty as she pulled out the journal. Thanks to Veronica's stealthiness, she had Cassidy's journal which could answer the question once and for all what he had been thinking.

Beginning at the first one, reading about Cassidy's freshmen year, she found he was really no different than any other 09ner at that point. A bit angry with the world and convinced that the reason his mother didn't love him was Dick. But nothing that foreshadowed him killing a bus load of people.

Unfortunately there was foreshadowing of what had happened to Veronica. The boy in these journals was emotionally adrift and when it came to women, it was also clear that he felt anger and resentment at them for falling for Dick's easy charm.

Stopping at the last entry which was a month before the party were he had attacked Veronica, Mac stood and looked over at the coffee shop where Logan and Veronica were coming out.

Walking over to join them, she asked if someone could take her to go and pick up her car. "I miss my bug."

Logan looked at her then asked suddenly "Why a VW bug, there are cars cheaper that are nicer. And in less attention grabbing colors."

"I like my Bug." she said with a glare. "Its way better than driving around in a gas guzzling SUV whose paint job looks a lot like Big Bird."

When Logan began to pout then cross his arms as he glared at Mac, Veronica stepped back, enjoying the way the two of them seemed to be taking pot shots at one another without being mean.

"I will have you know that I picked out that color." he said with wave at the truck. "It had to be special ordered."

"Why is that not a surprise? Oh yeah, because for most of us our color palette has expanded past Sesame Street." she said with a smirk. "For your information my car color didn't have to be special ordered."

"Now that says a lot about Volkswagon Beetle owners and none of it good." Logan pointed out. Turning to his girl friend, wanting her to agree, he saw that Mac had done the same thing.

"Hey, leave me out of this, my car is a nice safe silver." she said holding up her hands as if to say the same thing.

"Hey, Mac!" Hearing her name being called, Mac turned to see Lauren Sinclair waving wildly at her from inside the book store. Waving back, she couldn't resist when her sister motioned for her to come over.

"Come back here, I am not finished arguing with you." Logan called out only to be hit with Veronica's elbow. "Ouch, that hurts woman."

Then watching as Madison's little sister enthusiastically greeted Mac, Logan couldn't help asked. "How does Madison's sister know Mac and why is Mac being so nice to her?"

"Long story and not mine to tell." Veronica said. "Now, I think you had better get that food to Dick."

"I can wait." he said curious as to what was going on inside the book store. "In fact I think we should go get Dick a book to read while he is in the hospital in case he gets bored."

"Wait, speaking of books." Veronica quickly explained about the journals. "I put them in the back of your truck. I think it explains why Dick got so drunk. I only read excerpts but it was bad, Logan."

"We should read them." he said as they hurried towards his truck.

At the book store, Mac and Lauren were discussing her summer reading list and she found it hard not to hug her little sister as the young brunette explained that she had already read the fifth grader list and had moved on to the list for the grade above hers.

"So, I already began with the A's. Aldabra was good. Did you read it yet?" Lauren was asking Mac.

As they went through the books that Mac had read and the ones that Lauren was reading, they came to the next book on her list. "Its called Catherine Called Birdy by Karen Cushman."

"I remember that one, the girl is the daughter of a Knight and she wants to live the life and have the freedoms that boys get and doesn't want to be forced into marriage."

"I had to order that one so for now I am going to read Chasing Vermeer. Its about two kids who become friends as they try to find out who took a Vermeer painting. It reminds me of Veronica and you."

"But one of those kids is a boy." Protested Mac. "So its more like Veronica and her friend Wallace."

"Yes but you help her in her investigations, too. Don't you?" asked Lauren as she picked up her book. "So, where is your car."

"My car?" Mac asked surprised.

"You know the Beetle, I saw one the other day that was white with lady bugs painted on it." she reported. "And I really want a yellow one but with eye lashes like I saw online."

"Eye lashes?" asked Mac intrigued. "Really, I wonder how they do that."

"Its really cool, do you want me to send you a picture of it." asked Lauren asked as she began to search through her back pack for a pen and paper. "Here, give me your email address."

Pulling out her phone, Mac said "Why don't you give me yours and I will send you an email so that you can reply."

"Cool." Lauren said with a quick smile as she took the phone and began to type in her email address. Looking at her watch she groaned and said "I had better get going Mom only gave me twenty minutes and she starts to worry after five. I was already here about ten minutes before I saw you. So, are you friends with Logan Echolls, too. I think he is cute."

"Should I warn Veronica?" she asked as they moved towards the check out counter.

Lauren wrinkled her nose then said "Nah, hes too old for me."

Seeing her friends still waiting for her by Big Bird, she idly looked at Lauren and said "You want to help me play a joke on Logan as you head back to where your mom is?"

"Sure, what do I have to do?" she asked looking up at Mac and wondering why her own sister couldn't be as cool as Mac.

"Just say hello to him and ask him how Big Bird is doing."

"Oh, you mean his truck, right?" asked a giggling Lauren as she paid for her book. "That's funny."

"No, whats funny is that you knew what I was talking about." Mac said as they headed down towards the coffee shop and spa next door.

"Hey Veronica." Lauren said as she greeted the pretty blond. Then she looked at Logan, carefully avoiding looking at Mac. "Hey Logan. I have go, Mom's waiting for me, but can I ask you a question?"

"Sure." he said smiling as it hit him that Lauren oddly enough kind of resembled Mac.

"How's Big Bird doing now that you have stolen his car." with that she began giggling as she hurried towards the spa where her mother waiting in the doorway.

Discreetly wiping her tears, Mrs Sinclair greeted her daughter then asked if she had gotten her book.

"Yes, Mac and I were talking about the reading list and I forgot the time. Sorry Mom."

"Its fine." she said her voice hoarse as her daughter told her about her entire conversation. It killed her at times that she couldn't claim her biological daughter but it hurt even worse when she saw how easily Lauren and Cindy got alone.

"You told her to do that." Logan said glaring at Mac who had begun to laugh when the younger girl had ran away.

"Yup." Mac said with a smirk.

"Mac, did you see a dark green duffel bag when we took your stuff into my place?" Veronica asked.

Carefully looking at Veronica, knowing that she had to read them first, she said "No, why?"

"It belongs to Logan and I thought we might have taken it into the apartment last night." she said grateful that Mac hadn't seem the journals. There was no way that she was letting Cassidy hurt Mac even after he was dead. "It must be at the house."

"So, I have an idea." said Logan.

Seeing their surprise, he said "You know you ladies are not the only one with ideas."

"No, we know that, you and Dick often have ideas." said Veronica. "They usually involve surfer or getting arrested but since I doubt that is your plan today, I was just surprised."

Mac giggled at the glare then again a bit louder when he pressed a kiss onto Veronica's lips. "Anyhow, what is your idea, Logan?"

"Veronica, why don't you go find my bag. I will take Mac with me to the hospital to drop off Dick's food and then I will drive her to pick up her car." he stated.

"Why am I not driving my friend?" asked Veronica. "Its just as easy for me to take her home then go look for the duffel bag."

"Nope, its my idea and we are going with it." he said stubbornly.

"She's my friend." Veronica pointed out and never noticed Wallace joining them as she protested Logan's idea.

"Well she is my friend too. Wait, what are you two arguing about today?" asked the teenager as he looked at Mac.

"They alas are fighting over who is going to drive me to get my car. I feel so loved, so wanted. So cherished." mocked Mac only for Wallace to throw his arms around her and hug her tightly as he gave her a sad look.

"Well I hate to break up this whatever, but Veronica I am under direct orders to come and kidnap you." Wallace said looking at his bff. "On orders from my mom, sooooo..."

"I win." Logan said as he pressed a kiss goodbye onto his girl friend then grabbed her best girl friend and escorted her to the passenger seat. "Now, be nice to my car, Mac."

With a wicked grin, Mac patted the glove box and said " What a pretty car you are, big bird."

"Hey, you are giving me a complex." Logan said as he went around the hood of his car while Wallace had gotten into Veronica's Saturn while his girl friend had gotten into the driver seat.

"What is up with that?" Wallace asked. "I mean, Logan was awfully determined to drive Mac."

"He more than likely wanted to keep her away from the apartment." Veronica said with a sigh. "Do you remember taking in a green duffel bag to the apartment last night?"

"Yeah, ugly ass bag for Mac to be carrying." Wallace said.

"That's because it wasn't Mac's, its Logan's and it contains Cassidy's journals." she said with a sideways look at Wallace.

"Damn, that isn't good. Why are you calling him Cassidy?" he asked. "Kid almost killed you, he doesn't deserve the kindness."

"No, but Mac does and as unlikely as it sounds, so does Dick." she said as she explained about what she had read the day before. "Its bad, Wallace. What was in them, only a bit of it is already known."

"Oh man." said Wallace as he looked out the side window, his mind on how much darker could Cassidy have possibly have been, he was a murderer and a rapist already. What else could there be.

Arriving at the apartment, Wallace called his mom and promised they would be there later, before following Veronica inside to locate this mysterious bag.

Logan was silent until he had pulled out of the parking lot. "I know where you live, is that where you are car is?"

"Yes." Mac said. "Logan, whats going on? I mean, not that I am upset with you taking me to get your car, but it was hard to miss that you didn't want me to go with Veronica."

With a sigh, Logan said "I just think that you might be of help to me with Dick."

"How?" she asked looking at him in disbelief. "We don't get along at the best of times, right now I am sure that I am the last person on this earth he would want to see."

"No, that person is Madison Sinclair." he said as he drove through downtown and tried to avoid the crazy traffic.

Thinking for a second, Mac couldn't help laughing silently because in truth, she _was_ Madison Sinclair. "What you mean, he isn't thrilled with how she has been behaving?"

"Something like that. As a son of a rich man, things are different for us. When we get to be a certain age we are warned of certain things." Logan said looking at Mac when they pulled up to a stop light.

"About poor girls wanting rich husbands." she said sarcastically.

"No, well yes but it was more like girls in general. Dick isn't the fool most take him for, he knows that most girls date him for what he has, Mac. Not just poor girls, he is well aware that Madison was only with him because of the Casablancas money."

"Then why date her?" she asked then muttered "Never mind, I don't want to know."

"He dated her because that was what he was supposed to do." Logan said bluntly. Arriving at the hospital parking lot, Logan pulled into a slot then shut off his car. "This is something only Ronnie knows, but did you know when I first got to Neptune, I didn't like Lilly?"

"No, why would I, it wasn't like we knew each other." she said looking at Logan.

"Well, I didn't, I liked, had a crush actually on Veronica. We spent a lot of time hanging out, I never realized that people expected us to pair off, Veronica with Duncan and Lilly with me. Looking back, I see that Lilly manipulated it that way and not because she really wanted me, but because she understood this stupid silent dating code that never made any sense to me."

"So, if left to your own devices... it would have been you dating Veronica all this time?" she asked. Seeing the answer in his eyes, she said "No wonder things got so screwed up between the four of you. I think Veronica liked you too, from what we have talked about. But she saw you as being Lilly's."

Gulping a bit as he realized he was going to have to do girlie gossip talk again, he said "Dick didn't want to date Madison, in fact there was another girl he liked but he got the rules and knew that his father would freak if he didn't obey them. By the time he was old enough to stop, he was already messed up emotionally."

"Logan, I don't think you should be telling me this, I mean it is none of my business." she said bluntly.

"I need to talk to someone about it and Veronica finds it hard because of the Lilly situation." he said. Seeing Mac relax but clearly not wanting to be there, he continued. "Anyhow, Dick was done with Madison because he was just with her because of the rules. Now, she is determined to become Mrs Dick Casblancas because her parents put some major restrictions on her because of what she did to you and Dick in the press."

"What?" Mac was stunned at the idea of her biological parents trying to rein in their daughter. "Madison gets whatever she wants, why would they do that?"

"Because after reading one particularly vicious article, I went to see them." Logan said looking at her. "Madison has always hated, I mean absolutely loathed Veronica even before Lilly's death, and I would hear her making comments about you, nasty stuff but since most people ignored her, I never thought anything about it. But now, after this latest bit after Cassidy's death..."

"I'm surprised her parents listened." Mac said quietly.

"Its strange because most parents would hate Dick for the way things fell out between their daughter and him but the Sinclairs were always kind to Dick." Logan said. "I think its because they are in constant contact with Madison so they know what a bitch she is, but anyhow, when I spoke with them, told them how Veronica and you were my friend, how Madison's been reacting and that she feels she can get away with it because she is rich, it was as if they were already aware."

"So they cracked down on her, but I ran into her on the day of the- funeral." he muttered.

Reaching out for his hand, Mac patted it and said "You can say funeral, you can say Beaver, I spent a lot of time in the woods, dealing with things, Logan. I know that the person I thought Cassidy or Beaver to be isn't who he really was."

"I just don't want to step on any landmines." he said. "Anyhow, Madison is determined to marry Dick all of the sudden. I don't know why, but she is on this path and refuses to budge."

"Well all Dick has to do is say no." Mac pointed out.

"See, Madison knows Dick well enough to know one thing, if he were to get her pregnant, she only has to say she is keeping the kid. He would marry her to protect the kid." Logan says. "She is trying to wait until he is drunk or unconscious to get what she wants."

"As much as he fools around, I am surprised he isn't a daddy already." she said looking at Logan and seeing him wince. "What?"

"Its just, there are times I want to slap Dick upside the head but kids, no, not yet. Thank god. Mac, yes, Dick is a bit of a hound dog, but he is a very careful hound dog."

Getting out of his truck, then waiting for Mac, he handed her the take out container from the back seat and handing it to her, grabbed the bag with clothes for Dick before locking up the car. "So, on a more serious subject, do you really know how to make all my money disappear?"

"At least for a few days, a really good forensic accountant would get it back for you." she said.

"Remind me never to piss you off." he replied as they got into the elevator and rode up to see Dick. When Mac tried to hold back, Logan placed his hand on her back and edged her forward into Dick's hospital room.

"We came bearing presents." he said as he saw Dick's eyes widen at who was with him then a mask seemed to settle onto the blond.

"Yo, dude, you had better not let Ronnie see you with your hands on her bff's backside." he said with a smirk.

Logan glared then noticed that Dick was now on top of the sheets in his hospital gown. Glad he had brought him some clothes, Logan knew that Dick was more than likely restless and would soon be trying to walk the halls, embarrassing hospital gown or not.

"If his hand was there, he would be here as a patient in the bed beside you." stated Mac.

"Ghostworld, not in these rooms, we don't share." Dick retorted. "So, come to place nurse, you forgot to stop and pick up the naughty nurse costume. Logan, if you were going to bring me a girl as a present, remember next time, not without the heels and short white uniform, dude."

"Are you sure he is a patient?" Mac asked Logan. "That he isn't faking it to get a whole new set of women who have no idea who he is to hit on."

"Sorry, nope, he is really sick." Logan said as he took the take out container from Mac.

"I never realized being a horn dog was an illness." Mac said as she smirked at Dick who forgot to return the insult when he saw the food on the tray. When he began to eat without silverware, she said "Oddly enough, I thought you would have better table manners, I seem to recall being taught them in the first grade."

"Really, well I seem to recall that you stabbed me with your knife." Dick said around the piece of bacon he was devouring.

"That was an accident." Mac complained. "You wouldn't sit down and kept moving. How was I to know you were there and its not like they were real knives, Jr. And stop talking with food in your mouth or did you forget that lesson too?"

Logan stepped back, he had brought Mac with him for another reason, he had wanted to see the two of them together while Dick was feeling vulnerable and now he was glad he did as they forgot all about him being there and traded barbs and insults without any heat to them, except for the almost recognized attraction both had not realized was there yet.

"Don't call me junior, Cindy." he said stressing her first name.

"How would you like to be a patient for real. All it would take was some tip toeing through the records and you could find yourself getting a prostate exam or how about your appendix or tonsils out?" she asked the blond who stuck his tongue out at her and continued to use his fingers to eat.

When he was reaching for the scrambled eggs, Mac said "If you do that, I swear, I will bite them."

"I knew it, Ghost World, you want me." he taunted. "You don't need an excuse to bite me, I am all yours anytime you want." with that he threw himself back and lowered the bed so that he was laying flat.

"Not in this life time." she said then added. "Or any other as a matter of fact."

"Why not?" he asked his eyes dancing as he looked her over. "C'mon, just admit it you want some of the Dickster."

Mac saw the white plastic silverware on her side of the tray, picked it up and removed the plastic covering it. Taking the spork out and placing the knife on the tray, she smiled at him then stabbed him in the fleshy part of the thigh.

As he shouted ouch, she said "Nope, not done just yet. Maybe later, Dickster."

"Mac attack that was cruel." he said as he held his leg. "I think you drew blood."

"Stop being a baby, Dickie." she said but looking just in case. Gulping as she saw the muscular leg that was still exposed, she felt her heart racing, so regaining her calm by reminding herself that this was Dick, she said "Your going to be fine, Dick."

"What do you know, your not medical personnel." he said his hand now rubbing where she had sporked him. "Seriously, why did you do that?"

"It was either that or smother you with your own pillow and I didn't want to get that close to your face." she said.

"I know." he said with a heavy sigh as he moved a bit trying to get comfortable. "Its just too perfect and you wouldn't want to mess up perfection. I understand, Mackie, I am just too much for you."

Mac was trying to ignore his comments when Dick suddenly realized that Logan had taken out clothes from the bag he had been carrying.

Watching in shock as he suddenly reached back and began to untie his hospital gown, before she could say anything, Dick was pretty much naked with only the fallen gown covering his private parts.

"Dick!"

"What? Mackie?" Dick asked as he was reaching behind him to untie the rest of the gown. "What is your problem?"

"I am in the room." she pointed out as her skin turned a nice shade of scarlet.

"Dah, I know that, you just sporked me so it would be pretty hard to forget that." he said as the last tie came undone.

Logan didn't know whether to lecture Dick or laugh as he just tossed the gown to the side of the hospital bed but hearing Mac begin to choke, he finally said "Dick, you shouldn't have removed your clothes with Mac in the room."

Mac had turned to face the wall and chair with the green bag on it, trying to pretend that she hadn't been watching as Dick exposed his body.

She had seen him in swim trunks and wet suits over the years. She knew he had a nice body, but there were some parts that she never expected to see. Now having seen them, she was well aware that her old sex dreams were going to be coming back.

Dick had forgotten he had nothing on under the gown, but deciding to brazen it out, he started to speak but then his eyes traveled over to Mac and saw she was staring at the chair, the chair with the open duffel bag with his secrets inside.

Not even thinking things through, just panicking at the idea of her learning what was going on, he quickly hopped out of the bed, reaching for the bag. Not stopping to realize his arms had gone around Mac's waist and that his naked body was now pressed up against her until he had the bag in his hands.

Mac froze at the feelings his naked body pressed against her was creating. Realizing that there was something in his bag he didn't want her to see for some reason, she turned to tell him that she wouldn't look only to end up against his now growing arousal.

"DICK, YOU IDIOT, GET BACK IN THAT BED!"

Stunned, unable to move while Logan's words were heard in the hallway, Dick found his eyes meeting Mac's and then looking down at his own body's betrayal, Dick cursed, dropped the duffel bag and reached for the clothes that Logan still held in his hand.

When they didn't get released, Dick snarled "Dammit, give me my clothes."

Starting to pull on his sweats, Dick saw that Mac had bent down to pick up the stuff falling out of the bag and reached for her. "No, I will get..."

"Awww." Mac held her head as she bumped into Dick's chin as he went to bend down at the same time as pulling her up. "Will you stop it. What is wrong with you?"

"Just let it go,I will get it later." Dick said then saw her eyes had moved to where his shorts were only half on his hips and the rather obvious reaction to her.

"I-uh, I-I have to go. Logan, I will be outside, waiting by the car." Mac said as she started to turn and ended up off balance as her foot stepped on one of the pink envelopes and began to slide.

Dick reached to catch her just as she went to grab onto the nearest stable thing. Stunned to realize EXACTLY where she was grabbing, Mac let go of his bare butt and fled the room, gasping as she tried to avoid crying.

Logan couldn't help it, he looked towards where Mac had fled then at Dick who was now kneeling half dressed, picking up the evidence of his feelings for the very woman who had just fled and said "I thought Veronica and I were messed up. Damn, Dick, just talk to the girl, already will you. I mean how long has this been going on?"

Still trying to deal with his emotions, Dick was accidentally honest with his best pal. "First grade, so about twelve years."

Shaking his head, Logan said "I have to go drive the love of your life to get her car, why don't you get that cleaned up and get back in bed. Damn, Dick, get your act together, will yea."

When Logan had left, Dick picked up the cards and was grateful to see that the lunch pal was still inside the bag, that at least Mac hadn't seen that.

In bed, biting the bacon strips, Dick found himself recalling the day he had made plans to sort of steal Cindy Mackenzie's lunch box.

"_But Mom, I don't want a My Little Pony lunch box, I want a blue one, with some flowers on it. Not something so girlie." the five and a half year old was announcing to her mother in the middle of Kmart._

_Dick was with his nanny who had brought him with her to run some errands. Seeing the girl from his class at school, Dickie waved, only to turn bright red when she waved back._

"_But Cindy, all little girls want the My Little Pony." _

_At school the next day, Dick saw that Cindy was carrying the disliked lunch box and tried to find a way to say he was sorry but like usual when he tried to talk to Cindy, he began to stutter and the words wouldn't come out._

_Standing in front of her, he saw her taking out the food inside and was envious when he saw the note inside. Reading from his side of the table, he saw that it said "Have a Good Day, love mom."_

_His mom didn't pack him a lunch, his nanny did or sometimes the cook. _

_When Cindy had eaten her peanut butter and jelly sandwich then began to eat her celery sticks, Dick once again tried to speak to her but still nothing would come out. _

_Biting into his own peanut butter and jelly sandwich, Dick grimaced when he realized it was on the funny dark bread with the seeds in it. Placing it back down, then crumbling it up in the napkin, he went to eat the applesauce that he didn't care much for either. _

"_Here." With that, Dick saw that Cindy was giving him the other half of her sandwich. _

_Flushing as he muttered thank you, he took a bite and offered her up one of his precious chocolate chip cookies. As they smiled at one another,he tried to speak, but all he could do was keep shoving the food in his mouth so that he wouldn't stutter._

_After lunch, he watched as Cindy put her lunch box away with a slight shove into her cubby hole saying stupid purple ponies. _

_That night, after pretending to lose his lunch box, Dick talked his nanny into getting him a new one. "A blue one please, with nothing on it."_

_When his new lunch box had arrived, Dickie took it to his bedroom and went to sit in his closet. Taking out his markers, he carefully drew flowers all over it and put the initals CM on the bottom just like he had seen on Cindy's new box._

_At school the next day, he had two lunch boxes, his regular one that he had told the nanny he had found in his closet and the one he was going to give Cindy._

_When the bell rang at the end of the day, he saw Cindy going to get her lunch box and quickly stopped her by pushing her crayons on the floor._

_While she picked them up, he hurried to the lockers and switched out the boxes, the blue one with the painted flowers for the purple box she hated._

_Cindy soon came around the corner and couldn't find her lunch box. Upset because it was the second one she had lost in a week, she went to find the teacher while Dickie watched from his cubby where he was slowly getting his stuff ready to go meet the chauffeur waiting for him. _

_Miss Corinne came to help Cindy and Dickie watched as she located the blue box and showed it to Cindy, "See honey, your mom got you a new one, remember. Its got your initials on it."_

_Cindy looked at the box she had wanted then with a wide smile hugged Miss Corinne and rushed out to meet her Mom._

"_Dick, is everything okay?" Miss Corinne asked the blond little boy who was zipping up his book bag._

"_Yes." he said and quickly rushed out to the waiting limo. In the back seat, he knelt and watched out the dark tinted window as Cindy got into the back seat of her mom's car that then drove the opposite way. _

_At home, he went to his secret hiding place and placed the box inside. Smiling as he went downstairs, he heard his parents arguing and quickly went back up to his room..._

Dick smiled wistfully as he recalled how happy he had been that day, now, too much time and too many things had happened for that innocent little boy to ever be truly happy again, but for at least an hour, his younger self had felt so good about making little Cindy Mackenzie smile.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4 Ribbons

A/N:

Three things that can't be long hidden: The sun, the moon and the truth- Buddha

When Logan arrived at his truck, he saw Mac sitting on the bumper eating an ice cream cone. "Are you okay?"

"Right now, yes. Ten days from now when Dick starts harassing me about what just happened, not going to be so good." she said as she took another lick from her cone.

"I didn't know that the hospital has soy ice cream." he said as she ate her green colored ice cream cone.

"They don't. He had me so pissed I ate regular ice cream." she said as she finished it off and pulled a wet wipe out of her purse and washed her hands. "So, lets go get my car, in case I have to make a fast getaway from your bff."

Chuckling, Logan unlocked the truck and when they were driving towards her house, asked idly "So, that was the first time I ever heard Dick talk about elementary school. The two of you were in class together."

"Yes." was as she said.

"So you knew him pretty well long before you meet Veronica." he asked.

"No, not really." she said with a sideways glance at Logan. "You know, _Veronica, _why don't you skip the dancing around and get straight to the point."

"Hate to point this out, but Veronica would have gone right there." Logan replied then asked "Dick and you, the way you were reacting to each other in there, the banter sounded like it wasn't the first time. And it didn't sound like the two of you hated one another."

"I don't hate Dick, I hate that Dick acts like a dick." she said frankly. "The sweet, quiet little boy I knew, grew up to be a jerk to me. And that wasn't banter, that was me..."

Stopping for a moment, Mac suddenly realized that she hadn't been attempting to get him before he had gotten her, that there had been in fact a bit of flirting going on. "Never mind, I have no idea what the heck just happened in that hospital room. I am going to stack it up to temporary insanity and try to forget it ever happened."

A few minutes later, Mac's phone rang and hearing Veronica's voice looked at Logan and said "We are on the way to get my car. Do I ever have a story to tell you about Dick though. Lets just say that I saw the full monty."

Choking, Veronica looked at Wallace then asked "Please tell me that he didn't have a nurse in bed with him."

"Nope, he just flashed me." she said and heard the words taser and beat down before Logan who heard part of it began to chuckle. Reaching for the phone, he quickly said. "Mac can take care of herself, she sporked him just before that."

"Still if he does that again, my good buddy Mr Sparky will get a nice introduction to Dick's bare behind." she said darkly then hearing Wallace's question of what was going on, told Logan that she was on her way to Dog Beach with Backup.

"I will meet you there." he said as he handed Mac back her phone. "Are you going to join us at the beach."

"Nah, I think Ronnie needs some alone time with you." she said as she went to get her keys out of her small clutch inside her message bag.

Watching to make sure that Mac's car started with no trouble, when she was backing out, Logan drove off to see his girlfriend and her large overgrown puppy.

Mac went to her favorite place in Neptune, the bluffs out past PCH and quickly pulled over to the gravel drive. Once there she took out the bottle of water that she had purchased earlier that day and got comfortable as she realized that she had to read the diaries.

Slowly working her way through the one she had already read, in case she missed anything important, Mac was soon at the second diary that began with plans to attend Shelly Pomeroy's party.

After reading the next entry, Mac tossed the journal as far away from her as she could and yet keep it inside her Bug, stunned at the casual violence and disregard for human decency. Stepping out of her car, needing to breath, Mac just wanted to scrub her skin raw to know that she had almost slept with that miserable excuse for a human being.

Walking up and down the small path, until she could get control of her emotions, Mac tried to think what she had ever seen in Cassidy.

It was almost dinner time before she could sit back down in her car and while her first impulse to was drive back to Neptune and burn the journals in the nearest incinerator, Mac looked at the date for the last journal and with shaky hands went to the page with the last writing on it.

_Mac and I are going to seal the deal tonight at the Grand. I can't wait. The best part was the look on Dick's face when I told him. The sick almost green tint to his face made it worth all the time and money I am putting into this._

_I arranged for a basic room, nothing to fancy. I just hope that Mac doesn't want any of that romantic crap like candles or music. I just want to get this over with, get proof and rub it in Dick's face. Its going to be my own personal celebration of vengeance for the a job well done. _

_Woody will be dead by the time it happens and that plus the pills I picked up should surely make it possible for me to do what I have to do._

Mac sat there, stunned. She had come to realize that whatever his reason had been, Cassidy had not dated her because he had wanted to be with her, but clearly there was more to it than she knew.

That plus knowing he had planned to tell Dick, which pretty much meant telling the whole world, had her feeling grateful that Veronica's text had arrived before she had done something foolish.

Starting her car, Mac drove back to town, was going to head to the Mars apartment when she realized that she had to talk to Dick, had to find out what he knew about his brother's journals.

Arriving at the hospital, she was about to pull into the parking lot when she saw the bright yellow SUV that belonged to Logan and instead went back to the Mars apartment.

Seeing Veronica cooking something, she apologized for not telling her what was going on only for her friend to wave it off. "Its fine, I just got home a few minutes ago. Eggplant Parmesan for dinner."

"Before we start to eat." Mac pulled the books out of her bag. "I'm sorry, I found them today. I know I should have told you, but I had to read them."

"Oh Mac." Veronica saw her tears and pulled her into her arms then said "Why?"

"Same reason you need to read them." she said as she sat down the three journals on the counter. "They are sick, Veronica. I got through the first one, but after that. I couldn't do it, I read what happened grad night but I decided I don't want to know, not anymore."

"Probably a good idea." Veronica said quietly. "I saw little bits and pieces when I packed them up. Cassidy was screwed up but more than that, he was a nasty piece of work who kept everything he was thinking hidden."

"You know, what happened to him, it isn't an excuse, Veronica." she said. "He had bad things happen to him, but so have you, so has Logan and yet none of you are anything like him. Not even Logan when he was taken over by his evil twin."

As the two girls sat eating, Veronica admitted "We think that whatever is in them, is why Dick got so drunk the other night."

"I can understand that, I don't even drink and I want to after reading that." Mac stated. "I also wanted to rub my skin raw after knowing he and I made out. It gives me chills, Veronica. He had such hate in him that he kept hidden for so long."

They were silent as it settled in then Mac said softly "Veronica, he was excited to have that night with me, not because of me, but to prove something to Dick."

Veronica found it hard not to tense up, Logan had told her about Dick's crush on Mac and she didn't like it at all but that Cassidy had known of it and had used it to hurt her friend, well that scared her almost as much as what he had done to her.

It was the one thing she never ever wanted Mac to know. Her friend didn't deserve to know that the hell she was going through was because of something that Dick Casblancas had done to his kid brother.

Dishes were done and the girls had just settled on the sofa to watch television when Keith entered the apartment.

"So slay any dragons? Rescue any damsels in distress?" asked Veronica as she looked at her dad.

"Unfortunately there are no dragons in Neptune, no, today we caught a bail jumper and then found a car chop shop and put it out of business. The client was very pleased though. They had hit his dealership for five Ferrari's this year alone."

"Ah a Ferrari,the rich middle aged man's proof to himself that he isn't old and that girls still want him." snarked Mac.

"Now, be kind, not all men are as fabulous as my dad." Veronica said with a smirk at her dad. "Let me guess, as a bonus for a job well down, he going to let you have one at cost."

"Thankfully no. Instead his insurance company gave me a bonus for an efficient job well down. Turns out that several different dealerships had been hit and they were very glad to find out the team is now out of business. So, I was thinking, what do you say to maybe moving out of this very lovely establishment and into a house?"

"Can I get my pony?" Veronica asked blinking her eyes and holding her breath while smiling widely at her dad.

"Veronica, a pony isn't very practical." Mac said.

"No pony, but maybe a pool." Keith said. When she said yes, but that she really wants a pony someday, Keith said. "A walk in closet, instead?"

Pouting a bit, she pretended to be weighing the two items then said "Yes."

"So, who wants ice cream?" he asked and soon had two excited teens as he handed them the money. "Now, I have one more question. Whose your daddy?"

Veronica groaned then went to hug him before saying. "You have got to stop saying that, Logan did as a joke today, I came close to calling Ms James for a session in her office."

"I thought that was more about the joke regarding Dick and I dating." Mac asked as they left the apartment.

Keith heard his phone ringing and listened to what Mrs Navarro was saying and then explained. "Eli gets half the money I receive from each bail jumper case that he helps on. Plus we took down a chop shop today, Mrs Navarro, your grandson worked hard for that money."

When he hung up, Keith shook his head, knowing that for Eli what he had done today had been enjoyable. Now as soon as he finished his classes, he could start working as his apprentice and hopefully Keith could get his daughter to consider changing her career choice.

Standing and stretching, he was heading to the kitchen where the leftover eggplant was when he saw the books on the counter. Opening them, curious as to what Mac or Veronica were reading, he froze when he saw that they were the missing journals that Logan had told him about.

He didn't read them, Keith had a damn good idea what was in them and didn't want to know anymore than he already did, but turning to the last page, unknowingly repeating what Mac had done, he shivered at the idea of how twisted this baby faced young man had been.

Dick heard Logan leaving and was about to fall asleep when he heard the tap tap tap of heels. Looking up and seeing Madison, he said bitterly "Don't bother. I am not interested."

"But Dickie, I love you." she said.

"Madison, how much money do I have in my trust fund?" he asked.

"You told me fifty million." she replied quickly.

"And did I inherit anything else?" he asked.

"Well not yet, but you will from your grandparents on both sides and from Beaver." she said as she flipped her hair back and started to sit down.

"I thought so." He said. "Madison, just once, I would like to meet a woman who doesn't know my net worth and who still wants me for me. You are nothing more than a gold digger who seems to think I am in idiot. I want more from the woman I someday marry. Like love and fidelity and kids at some point."

"Yeah right, who are you kidding Dick." she said with a sneer. "You really think some paragon of womanhood is going to want you. Not likely, they are always going to want you for your money. At least I am upfront about it and will understand when you have your weaknesses with other women."

"Madison, if I wanted to marry a woman like my mother, you would be the girl for me. Unfortunately for you, I want a wife who is the exact opposite of my own mother. And you have no idea about me or my dreams for the future."

Sneering at him, Madison said "Damn,that idiot brother of yours was right, you have the hots for that stupid geek, don't you? Hate to tell you this, Dickie, but a girl like that, is way out of your league. She isn't going to settle for a drunk surfer whose only goal in life is to be just like dear old dad. Whose IQ is smaller than his shoe size."

When he didn't answer, just kept his eyes on her, she said "You are a sad pathetic loser who is chasing after a woman who would rather have your crazy assed little brother than you."

With that, she walked to the door and turned to look at him. "Dickie, you have until the end of the week, after that, I will do what I have to do."

"Madison, go fuck yourself." he said coldly.

Storming out, Madison left the hospital and drove over to see Lamb in her BMW, needing to be comforted right then. When she knocked on the door, she was not happy when he opened it snapping "What?"

"I need you." she said trying to push her way inside.

"Stop." Don Lamb said looking at the blond, then at his front door. "Madison, it was fun while it lasted, but I am not in the mood to cater to your bitchy ass."

"Let me in, Don. If you want to be sheriff again, have I got a tale for you." she said and once inside, sat down and offered up Dick and the GHB.

"Do you have any proof?" he asked as he realized that the night in question was the night that Veronica Mars was raped.

"Yeah, I knew what the idiot was doing. Its why I gave Mars a trip to the dentist." she said with a happy chuckle.

"You do realize that makes you an accessory to rape, don't you?" he asked. When she shrugged, he said "Its all hearsay, Madison and frankly, I would rather not tangle with the Mars family. I am moving on and up to better things than piddly little Neptune, California."

"Fine, be that way." she said before standing and walking the door. At the doorway, she looked around the small cramped house and said "I can't believe I sank this low."

"Me either, you know, since I am leaving town. How about I let you in on a secret." he said with a smirk. "I fucked you because I was horny for another blond. I think you can figure it out on your own which one."

With that, he slammed his door in her face and went back to packing, cursing the whole lot of them, he was sick to death of catering to rich kids and their even richer parents.

Madison was furious as she drove home, she had been pulled over and given a speeding ticket and now she just wanted to crawl into bed and forget this day had ever happened.

Entering through the garage, she was as quiet as possible, trying to avoid her father who had already cut off her credit cards, she had very little money in the bank account to take out on her debit card and she was not going to lose anything else.

"I know, I saw her the other day too." she heard her dad speaking to her mom. "It kills me to know I have a daughter who is going to make something of herself and that I can never claim her."

Madison froze, she had a sister, that was not right. No, her parents had only Lauren and her.

"Its amazing how much she looks like Lauren." her mom was saying. "I just wish..."

"Me too." her dad replied. "Me too, especially right now and what does that say about me. I resent that we are forced to stay away, forced to keep this secret."

"We agreed, Thomas. I know that it is hard, but its for her own sake. Someday, maybe when she is older. Then there is Madison, how do you think she is going to react. She is nasty to Lauren, how do you think she would react to knowing who her sister is and that she went to school with her all this time."

Madison went up to her room and yanked out her yearbook. Looking through it, trying to figure out which of her classmates parents had spouses that cheated on one another, she vowed to make sure her dad's bastard of a child never received one cent that belonged to her.

After an hour of getting nowhere, she went to find a private detective. Finding the name Vinnie Van Lowe, she put his contact information in her cell phone then went to bed, determined to know who this possible interloper was.

Logan arrived at the hospital and was soon feeding Dick, this time making him use silverware. "So when are they releasing you?"

"Mr Mars is coming to get me released, but says he wants to talk to both of us, man." Dick said as he bit into the sausage filled eggs. Taking a drink of the liter of orange juice, he looked at Logan then said "Madison showed up, got her shots in. She said something... she knew something about Cassidy."

Nodding that he heard, Logan was looking at the television and saw that thankfully Dick hadn't seen the news. "What do you think she knew?"

"Something is really fishy about this mess, Logan." he said as he laid back down. Hearing Weevil as he entered the room with Mr Mars, Dick wanted to protest his being there, but after the night before and his call with Mr Mars he knew something was going on.

"Dick have you seen the news today?" Keith asked as they got normal greetings out of the way. Weevil nodded at both of the boys and went to stand guard outside, Keith had gotten news that Madison was the least of Dick's worries.

"No, he hasn't. I saw the breaking news just now." Logan said.

The blond surfer looked between his best friend and the others and said "What is it dude? You all are looking at me as if my dog died and I don't have a dog."

"Uh, Kendall was back in town yesterday." Logan said.

"Huh, why would I care about dad's wife #4 being in town." he replied his eyes brows furrowed as he tried to catch up with whatever they knew.

"There was a shoot out at four am this morning, she is dead, Dick." Keith said gently worried that one more death would destroy this boy.

Shrugging, Dick said. "Well I am sorry that a hot babe died, but she was a bit of a skank. Why are you all staring at me?"

"Dick, the Fitzpatrick's were involved. Your house is a mess, there are bullet holes everywhere and your house is a crime scene." Keith said.

"Again, don't you mean its a crime scene again?" asked a weary Dick.

"Dick, they won't release you without anyplace to go." Keith said. "They are suggesting you go to a rehab center. Now, I would like you to stay with Logan for a few weeks."

"I don't need a babysitter." he protested.

"Dick, for now, until they clear you of your medical issues you do." was Logan's answer. "Besides, think about it, staff to cook and clean and endless video games."

"Sounds righteous dude." Dick said with a smile even as he inwardly groaned at having to hear Logan and Ronnie making out, but he knew better than to use that as a reason to protest, not with Ronnie's dad standing there and more than likely armed with a gun.

"While that may work short term, I think you two should consider buying a house together, with college starting in the fall, you could find a place close to campus."

"It won't matter to me. My invite was rescinded." Dick said quietly. "Think about it, would you want me attending your school?"

"You were accepted at Hearst?" Keith asked. Mr Clemmons had informed him of this when they had talked the day before. "I know that your grade for Science was straightened out."

"Yeah, dude er, Mr Mars but that was before my brother was revealed to be a serial killer." with that Dick shrugged and said "I would have probably flunked out first semester anyhow."

"Logan, I need to speak to Dick alone." Keith said. "Veronica is at the office, if you want to track her down."

"Actually, do you know where Mac is?" Logan asked.

"She went to the computer store then was heading to the beach." Keith informed him then when the dark haired young man had left, looked at Dick.

"Your father is gone, Dick."

"What he do now?" asked Dick not wanting to hear it but knowing he had to stay informed in case a reporter got too close.

"Nothing Dick. What you said about flunking out of college, I know you are a lot smarter than you act. I spoke to Mr Clemmons he let me have access to your school records, all the way back to elementary school."

"Why would you want to look at that d-Mr Mars." Dick asked stuttering as he tried to avoid calling Veronica's dad dude.

"Dick, I will deal with getting you into Hearst, you start to realize that Richard Casablancas Sr is out of your life and that you can make of it what you want."

"Why?" he asked bluntly. "Madison was here last night, while she was wrong about a lot of things, she is right about one thing. With my history, no one will ever want me for who I am."

"Then become someone they will want." Keith said then after a moment added "Mac is a decent person, Dick. But don't change for her, change for yourself. Become the man you were meant to be before your father's fears of you eclipsing him created the man laying in this bed right now."

Dick was silent as he lay there, then looking at Mr Mars asked "How are you going to get me into Hearst again?"

"That is my problem, Logan and you consider how to solve yours regarding a place to live." he admonished as he left the room. "Weevil, keep Madison Sinclair out of that room."

With that, Keith went to make a few calls. At the office,he entered the room only to find his sleazy rival sitting in the waiting room annoying his daughter. "Vinnie, what may I do for you?"

"Let's have this convo without the little woman listening in, if you don't mind." with that Vinnie walked out the door and in spite of wanting to lock his outer office door, Keith followed the other PI to the nearest corner.

"What's with the cloak and dagger stuff, Vinnie?" he asked looking at the annoying man.

"I had a visit today from a potential client, if she had had the money to pay me, I wouldn't be here, but she didn't and I owe her nothing." Vinnie said.

Filling him in on Madison Sinclair's quest, Vinnie said "Now why would a rich young girl come to me for this, we both know that standard practice is to go to your daughter."

"Stopping digging around, hoping I will do your work for you, Vinnie." Keith said as he shook his head and told the other man to do what he was going to do.

Leaving, Vinnie was disappointed, he had hoped that Keith had something on Sinclair, he had been paid years ago to investigate Mr Sinclair during a tort case for a local attorney but the man kept his nose clean, yet somewhere out there at least according to his daughter he had a illegitimate kid that he was keeping hidden.

Back in his office, after Veronica showed him the bugs Vinnie had planted, he said "Veronica dear, I have found the treasure map, lets go seeking our fortune. First clue is at the old Well's Fargo warehouse."

Watching from his window as Vinnie drove off in a hurry, he said "You were right, he copied that supposed treasure map last time he was here."

"Being there when he tracks down the clues and finds the box we buried would be even better than a pony." Veronica said as they destroyed the bugs. "Now, Mrs Lathem stopped in, she was looking for a progress report in finding her twin sister, and Mr Mans wants to know and I quote "Did your father find out where my blood sucking, tramp of an ex wife hid my car."

"One rare Aston Martin Vantage was already sent home and we need to send out a finally billing with a refund for what I didn't use. And as for Mrs Lathem, not yet. I have to make some calls but at some point I want to talk to you about the journals, sweetie."

"Will be ducking out to spend time with my boy toy and then am meeting my bff for lunch and then my boy toy and I are taking lunch to Dick since they are releasing him to Logan's penthouse this afternoon."

"Find some time to get to the beach today, its suppose to begin storming this time next week." warned Keith. In his office, Keith sat down and made his first call.

"Mrs Casablancas..."

"Mr Mars, I refuse to answer to that name." the woman said coldly.

"Well then, maybe you should have done a better job of making sure your divorce was legal." he said as he leaned back in his chair. "We both know that until the Ambassador and yourself remarry, you aren't legally his wife. Now, lets make a deal..."

A half hour later, Keith said "Nice doing business with you."

Hanging up, he heard his daughter announcing that a Mindy O'Dell was there to speak to him. Letting her in, Keith said "You asked me what I wanted... you are going to have your husband agree to let Dick Casablancas attend classes at Hearst this fall, if you don't, what you did to your ex-lover will be the least of your worries."

The red head stood, walked to the door and said "Will talk to him when I get home."

When she had left, Keith made one more call then went to speak to his paying clients. Signing for the couriered check an hour later, he quickly took it to the bank then went to his stake out on the Widow Thompson, who might just have offed her very elderly husband for his money.

Dick heard Veronica joining Logan in the hallway and was grateful when she came in and plopped down food in front of him. "So what have the two of you been up to?"

Looking at the assortment of files on the desk, she lifted one and said "A house? What no maid service, no room service, whatever shall you do?"

"I was thinking of hiring Mrs Navarro, learning to cook and for anything else, I was thinking my girlfriend would help out." Logan said with a smug grin.

"Really, you have a girl friend?" she asked. Then looking at Dick and then at Logan said "Dad mentioned that you two were thinking about it, but clearly this is more than thinking."

"We talked about it and its not only a good idea from the standpoint of getting out of the hotel but from an investment standpoint." said Logan.

"Okay boys, I am not my dad, spill." Veronica said as she saw the way they were talking without words as their eyes met again.

"A reporter got into my room and from what you dad said, the staff at the Grand gave him a lot of information about me without a single moment's hesitation. I- we talked about it and if Dick is living with me, it will be even worse and frankly Madison is still a worry."

"Okay, explain this, why is Madison such a threat, not only you are worried but my dad is." she said as she watched Dick bite into his burger and then his fries.

Telling her what they knew, they saw she didn't understand. "But Dick, unless you sleep with her, it won't be a problem."

There was an awkward silence then Logan sat her down and said "Who do you think told us a few years ago where to find GHB. Madison was the one who wanted to play sex games, Veronica. She is also quite adept at getting access to other drugs. At least if we own our houses there is less of a chance of her getting in."

Letting that sink in, Veronica thought back to the journal and then closed her eyes. "I get it, I have someplace I have to be, but Dick, Logan, I think you are making the right choice."

With that, she left after giving Logan a slight hug. "Uh oh, did we just create trouble between the little woman and you?"

"Keep looking at the houses, I have to go find out what is going on with Veronica." Logan said forgetting that he had called Mac and asked her to stop in at the hospital that afternoon and that he had promised she wouldn't have to see Dick.

Dick looked at the houses, some were way too big for a teenager and others had no pool. Taking out the paper with the list of requirements he edited it, adding some things and removing others.

"Dick, where is Logan?" Dick's eyes went straight to Mac's and he found it hard to speak at first but regaining his equilibrium he said chasing Ronnie.

"He asked me to meet him here." she said as she debated heading out but feeling guilty when she saw that no one was in with Dick.

"They had some sort of thing to look into." he said. "I uh, think he forgot he was meeting you Mackie."

"Oh, uh, well I should go." she said as her eyes traveled over the shirt clinging to his muscles and the sweat shorts that left little to the imagination. "How is your leg?"

"You didn't break skin if that is what you mean." he said as his own eyes did some exploring. From the bright green nail polished covered toes in sandals up the legs exposed by her shorts he found that he was wishing to know if they were as soft as they looked.

Seeing the summer t-shirt in a light gray that was molded to her chest, Dick had to fight hard to make sure his eyes went higher and meet hers. Looking a bit closer he said "Wait, there is no color in your hair today."

"No, I can't make up my mind what color I want." she said as she stood there.

"Why do you color it?" he asked then felt his face flushing as he began to list he various colors she had dyed it over the years.

"Its stupid." she said trying to change the subject. "So, how much longer are they going to be keeping you here."

"I am just waiting for Logan, he not only forgot what he wanted you to do, but he forgot he was taking me home to the hotel." Dick said.

"Oh." was her answer as she tried to come up with something else to talk about.

"So, your hair, why did you color it?" he asked again. "C'mon just spill all of your secrets."

"Not in this lifetime and I like color but when I was a kid, I kept losing my hair ribbons, so I wanted to dye it that way I get the color without losing it everyday."

"Oh." Now it was his turn to not have a response. They were silent for a few minutes then Dick asked. "Did you hear, Logan and I are buying a house."

"No, oh, so that you don't have to live at the hotel. I heard on the news on the way over here about Kendall."

"Not a big deal. I hate that house anyhow." Dick replied.

When her phone rang, Mac held it up and quickly fled the hospital, nodding at Weevil as she left the building. "Veronica, whats up?"

"How about joining me for a little tiptoeing into the computer records of one Don Lamb?" she asked as she watched the young woman flirting with her friend. "And this time it is at dad's request."

"Okay... be right there." she said as she went to meet Veronica at Dog Beach. Seeing Logan pulling in as she was leaving the hospital parking lot, she waved at him.

In the hospital room, Dick was thinking on all the ribbons he had gathered as a young boy, following Mac around the playground. She had always started the morning with them in her hair but often by lunchtime she would lose them.

When Logan entered, he stood up and grabbed his bag, "I have some possibles. We will have to go see them, sense their aura or something."

"Dude, you are so in the doghouse." Dick grumbled as they left the hospital an hour later. "I can't believe you forgot me."

"Sorry." he said his face flushing. "You don't seem to have been alone too long, I saw Mac leaving."

"Yeah, she stopped in to see you." Dick pointed out.

"Oh shit. I wanted her to see how fast we could close on a house if we found one we liked. I spoke to a lawyer to find out what we needed to know before I brought in the brochures but I didn't find anything I liked."

"Me either." Dick said with a sigh. "Well its not like its an emergency. We have plenty of time. Maybe we can drag Mac and Veronica with us."

Across town, Madison was about to make her package pickup when her phone rang. Seeing it said Vinnie Van Lowe, she answered it. "Well?"

"You have yourself a private investigator." the man said as he held up the photo of Keith Mars with his daughter's handwriting clearly visible saying Best Detective on it.

"You will take the silver necklace in trade?" she asked sweetly needing to be nice.

"I want five hundred cash besides that, to start this case off." he replied.

Madison was torn between making her pick up from behind the River Styx or getting the low down on this supposed sister. "I am on my way. Where do you want to meet?"

Vinnie tossed down the frame and shattered the picture as he made arrangements with the blond. "Give me two days, I will have your proof."

TBC


End file.
